Key Primaries Remain Too Close to Call

Two primaries featuring pro- and anti-abortion candidates have no clear winner.

We’ve written previously about the race in Texas House District 28. Incumbent Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar supports abortion limits and is the last openly pro-life Democrat in the House of Representatives. Abortion industry groups like Planned Parenthood, eager to expel all dissenting thought from the Democratic Party, backed challenger Jessica Cisneros. Rep. Cuellar currently leads Cisneros by 175 votes. This is within the margin for Cisneros to demand a recount under Texas law. An undisclosed number of ballots from Bexar County have not been counted yet. The winner will face Cassy Garcia, a pro-life Republican, in November.

In Pennsylvania, officials have already ordered a recount for the GOP primary for Senate. Dr. Mehmet Oz enjoys the endorsement of former president Trump, but voters balked at Dr. Oz’s history of pro-choice comments. He took a pro-life stance this time around, but many considered the flip-flop too little, too late. Candidates Kathy Barnette (who was conceived in rape) and David McCormick both hammered Dr. Oz on abortion throughout the campaign. According to NPR, Oz leads with 31.2%, McCormick has 31.1%, and Barnette has 24.7%. This splitting of the pro-life vote is unfortunate, because there will be no runoff. The primary is winner-take-all. If Dr. Oz holds on to his slim lead, he will be the Republican nominee.

Finally, in Alabama, keep an eye on Yolanda Flowers, a Democratic candidate for governor who supports limits on abortion. Flowers earned 34% of the vote and advanced to a runoff. The winner will face incumbent Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who has a strong pro-life record and is favored to win re-election in the deep red state.

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