(LifeSiteNews) – Three pro-abortion Republicans targeted for ouster by Students for Life Action (SFLA) lost their primaries this month to pro-life challengers, improving future prospects for pro-life legislation in the Palmetto State.
On June 12, Students for Life Action reported on Allen Blackmon and Matt Leber, who scored 100% on pro-life candidate surveys, defeating incumbent state Sens. Penry Gustafson and Sandy Senn, respectively. The two incumbent Republicans had, along with state Sen. Katrina Shealy, helped filibuster a vote on a Human Life Protection Act (HLPA) to ban most last year. A third 100% pro-life respondent, Carlisle Kennedy, advanced to a runoff against Shealy, as well.
On June 25, SFLA reported Kennedy’s ultimate defeat of Shealy, completing the group’s victory over those who helped kill the heartbeat law. The results followed a SFLA grassroots campaign that it says produced 37,407 pieces of mail, 129,241 text messages, 51,371 phone calls, 2,572 doors knocked, and 91,923 digital ad impressions.
“When I think back to where this began and where it has gone since, I cannot help but think that State Sen. Shealy should’ve just voted to do what her constituents wanted,” Students for Life Action president Kristan Hawkins said. “But in the end, the constituents did get the final say – which is why State Sen. Shealy is looking for a job, and Carlisle Kennedy will soon have hers. We’re so excited to work alongside this amazing pro-life coalition of leaders in the Palmetto State and look forward to what we can do next to defend Life in law and service.”
“If anyone doubts the impact of grassroots door-knocking campaigns or an effective digital push via text, Facebook ad, or flyer, they only need to look at the results from tonight and the primary races two weeks ago,” she added.
South Carolina currently has a heartbeat law that bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally at the first six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks and exceptions for “medical emergencies,” not including mental conditions, or “fatal fetal anomalies.”
That law has been credited with cutting the state’s abortions by almost 80%. The HLPA would have banned abortion starting at conception, with rape and incest exceptions in the first trimester, and similar anomaly and medical emergency exceptions.
The heartbeat law has withstood multiple legal challenges by the abortion industry, the most recent of which was rejected last month by Fifth Circuit Court Judge Daniel Coble.