WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- The Democratic Party is backing a record number of anti-abortion candidates for U.S. Congress in a bid to win Southern districts, political analysts say.
In a party dominated by leaders who back abortion rights, Democratic strategists are nonetheless tailoring their stance to back 12 House of Representatives candidates who are putting their anti-abortion beliefs on full display to attract culturally conservative Republican voters in the U.S. South, The New York Times reported Sunday.
They are doing this despite the fact the Democratic Party's platform explicitly embraces abortion rights, which has brought condemnations from some of the party's core backers.
Kelli Conlin, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, told The Times the southern strategy of recruiting anti-abortion candidates was misguided, contending research shows even some Republicans back legalized abortion when "the consequences of outlawing" the procedure are described to them.
But Rep. Christopher Van Hollen, D-Md., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told The Times: "You help take the wedge issues off the table in these districts and allow the Democrats to focus on kitchen-table economic issues that unite Democrats and have the support of independents and even some Republicans."
