U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, N.C.-11th, who ran for office as a pro-life Democrat last year, has fulfilled his campaign promises on those issues, according to a national lobbying group that concentrates on social and family concerns.
Focus on the Family Action, a lobbying group separated from the more familiar Focus on the Family advocacy organization founded by Christian leader James Dobson, said Shuler has been reliably pro-life since entering office last year, although his opportunities to demonstrate that have been relatively few. Focus on the Family Action officials said three other House Democrats who ran on anti-abortion platforms — Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, and Rep. Charlie Wilson of Ohio — have also kept their promises.
“Based on their voting records in the 110th [Congress] so far, we’ve got four freshmen lawmakers in the House who have voted consistently pro-life,” said Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action.
Shuler defeated longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor in November 2006, as Democrats regained majority power in both the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years.
Shuler told Focus on the Family’s media arm, Family News in Focus, that his intentions never wavered despite his party’s majority stance to keep abortion legal.
“I actually sat down with [Speaker of the House Nancy] Pelosi at the time and told her about my viewpoints and told her that we would differ on a few issues,” Shuler said. “I said, ‘You’ll always know how I’ll vote on the life issues. I’m pro-life now and I’ll always be pro-life.’”
According to Congressional Quarterly, a Washington publication that tracks voting records on legislation, Shuler has the “most contrarian” voting record within his own party against its leadership.
Last week Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower, a Republican, said he will run against Shuler in 2008.