Anti-abortion group aims to influence race for RNC chairman

An anti-abortion group announced Wednesday it will launch a widespread e-mail campaign to elect a like-minded Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman.

The Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List, which is co-sponsoring a Jan. 3 RNC chairman debate, said it will reach 500,000 socially conservative activists with its campaign.

{mosads}“It is critical that the next RNC chairman not only be pro-life, but be prepared to use his or her position to advance pro-life values,” said SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement. “We look forward to vetting candidates on their stances on Life and how they would advance these causes as RNC Chairman.”

Current RNC Chairman Michael Steele was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee during his failed 2006 run for U.S. Senate, but he upset some anti-abortion advocates last year when he said abortion is “an individual choice.”

Anti-abortion groups, including the SBA List, recently showed their influence by helping land Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) in the Health Subcommittee chairmanship in the next Congress.

The groups said they would only accept Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — whom they said has a poor record on abortion and stem cell issues — as chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee if Pitts was selected to lead the health subcommittee. Pitts received a 100 percent rating from the NRLC, while Upton scored 83 percent.