Candidates' positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found. Candidates who have changed their positions are listed as Now their most recent position. Candidates are listed by party and in alphabetical order by last name. Black & white photos indicate candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria for inclusion.
Virgil Goode, former US Representative (R-VA), stated the following on his campaign website page "The Issues," available at www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed Apr. 25, 2012):
"In the United States House of Representatives, I had a consistent pro-life voting record and in 2008 the National Right to Life Political Action Committee commended me 'for your 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your twelve years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.' As President I would continue to oppose abortion and would submit a budget to Congress with zero funding for planned parenthood and any other similar entities." Apr. 25, 2012 Virgil Goode
Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico, stated the following in a June 15, 2011 interview titled "Meet Gary Johnson, the GOP's Invisible Candidate," published in Rolling Stone:
"I support women's rights to choose up until viability of the fetus. I've supported the notion of parental notification. I've supported counseling and I've supported the notion that public funds not be used for abortions. But I don't want for a second to pretend that I have a better idea of how a woman should choose when it comes to this situation. Fundamentally this is a choice that a woman should have." June 15, 2011 Gary Johnson
Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, was quoted as having said the following in a Jan. 22, 2011 article by David Jackson, "Obama Recalls Roe v. Wade, Backs Abortion Rights," published in USA TODAY:
"Today [Jan. 22, 2011] marks the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that protects women's health and reproductive freedom, and affirms a fundamental principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters.
I am committed to protecting this constitutional right. I also remain committed to policies, initiatives, and programs that help prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and mothers, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption." Jan. 22, 2011 Barack Obama
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated the following in the "Values," section of his official campaign website, avaialble at www.mittromney.com (accessed Sep. 12, 2012):
"Mitt Romney is pro-life. He believes it speaks well of the country that almost all Americans recognize that abortion is a problem. And in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year cannot be squared with the good heart of America.
Mitt believes that life begins at conception and wishes that the laws of our nation reflected that view. But while the nation remains so divided, he believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade – a case of blatant judicial activism that took a decision that should be left to the people and placed it in the hands of unelected judges. With Roe overturned, states will be empowered through the democratic process to determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate.
Mitt supports the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions. As president, he will end federal funding for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood. He will protect the right of health care workers to follow their conscience in their work. And he will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and the law...
Americans have a moral duty to uphold the sanctity of life and protect the weakest, most vulnerable and most innocent among us. As president, Mitt will ensure that American laws reflect America’s values of preserving life at home and abroad." Sep. 12, 2012 Mitt Romney
[Editor's Note: Mitt Romney declined to sign the "Personhood Republican Presidential Candidate Pledge" released by Personhood USA in Dec. 2011. The pledge, stating that abortion should be made constitutionally illegal, was signed by Republican presidential candidates Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum. Mitt Romney has previously supported a human life amendment to the constitution. In an Aug. 6, 2007 interview on Good Morning America, he stated: "I do support the Republican platform and I support that part of the Republican platform {a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution making it clear that the 14th Amendment's protections apply to unborn children}, and I'm pro-life.]
"I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice." Oct. 26, 1994 Mitt Romney
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt Romney's Sep. 12, 2012 Con position to the right, he held a Pro position as indicated in his Oct. 26, 1994 statement below during a US Senate debate at Faneuil Hall, Boston.]
Jill Stein, MD, former Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, stated the following in a Project Vote Smart "Political Courage Test," available at www.votesmart.org (accessed July 13, 2012):
"Real choice must include more than the choice of whether or not to have an abortion, and must begin with an informed choice about preventing unintended pregnancy. By providing all women with reproductive health care and family planning, as part of a program of health care as a human right, we can greatly reduce the need for abortion. Giving women real choices for education opportunities and good paying jobs will also reduce unintended pregnancies. Abortion is a necessary health care option, but will decline as women's choices expand upstream of unwanted pregnancy." July 13, 2012 Jill Stein
Michele Bachmann, US Representative (R-MN), stated the following during a June 13, 2011 CNN Republican debate held in Manchester, NH:
"I am 100 percent pro-life. I've given birth to five babies, and I've taken 23 foster children into my home. I believe in the dignity of life from conception until natural death. I believe in the sanctity of human life. And I think the most eloquent words ever written were those in our Declaration of Independence that said it's a creator who endowed us with inalienable rights given to us from God, not from government. And the beauty of that is that government cannot take those rights away. Only God can give, and only God can take. And the first of those rights is life. And I stand for that right. I stand for the right to life. The very few cases that deal with those exceptions are the very tiniest of fraction of cases, and yet they get all the attention. Where all of the firepower is and where the real battle is, is on the general -- genuine issue of taking an innocent human life. I stand for life from conception until natural death.” June 13, 2011 Michele Bachmann
[Editor’s Note: Bachmann cosponsored the Right to Life Act, H.R. 618(136 KB), which was introduced to Congress on Jan. 22, 2007. The bill seeks "equal protection for the right of life of each born and preborn human person."]
Herman Cain, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and Chairman of Godfather's Pizza, stated the following during a Feb. 22, 2011 interview with Race42012, available at race42012.com:
"While I do believe that the economy and national security are the most important issues facing our country, I am a firm believer in the dignity of life and support a ban on partial birth abortion. If I were president, I would sign legislation that would protect the sanctity of life. Additionally, I would be in favor of any legislation that would encourage adoptions as a loving and safe alternative to abortion.
I also support a complete federal defunding of Planned Parenthood. American taxpayers should not be forced to foot the bill for abortions that destroy life and harm the mother. Furthermore, the roots of the organization, as pointed out in Jonah Goldberg's 'Liberal Fascism,' are Margaret Sanger's desire to perform eugenics and ultimately, destroy the black race. Many of America's most revered civil rights leaders, such as Niger Innis and Dr. Alveda King, would attest to this fact." Feb. 22, 2011 Herman Cain
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives (R-GA), stated the following in an interview titled "Exclusive 'American View' Interview: Newt Gingrich on Abortion, Homosexuality, Biblical Government; Rejects 'Narrow' View of Our Founders," available at TheAmericanView.com (accessed Oct. 11, 2011):
"[John Lofton of American View]: Sure. You think abortion should be a crime?
Gingrich: (Pause) I think that abortion should not be legal, and I think that how you would implement that I’m not sure.
Lofton: OK, I’m not sure what that means —- it should not be legal. Would you make it a law that would consider it a crime to perform an abortion, or for a woman to have one? Should there be any legal protection for the unborn as far as you’re concerned?
Gingrich: There should be. And I think the focus has been on doctors performing abortions. And in that sense that we want to move the society as rapidly as we can that people should select adoption rather than abortion and that choosing abortion is not acceptable." Oct. 11, 2011 Newt Gingrich
Jon Huntsman, former Governor of Utah, stated the following during a June 3, 2011 speech at the Faith and Freedom Conference in Washington, DC, available at www.jon2012.com:
"As governor of Utah I supported and signed every prolife bill that came to my desk. I signed the bill that made second trimester abortions illegal, and increased the penalty for doing so. I signed the bill to allow women to know about the pain that an abortion causes an unborn child. I signed the bill requiring parental permission for an abortion. I signed the bill that would trigger a ban on abortions in Utah if Roe vs. Wade were overturned.” June 3, 2011 Jon Huntsman
Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated the following during a June 1, 2011 speech at the National Right to Life Convention, available at www.youtube.com:
"Philosophically, I consider the issues of life and abortion, probably the most important issue of our age...
To me this issue draws attention to what kind of respect we have for life, to do abortion on demand means there is no respect for life, and it is a very very bad sign for civilization...
Liberty is secondary to life... if you are careless about the definition of life you really can't be a champion of liberty...
A human life starts with conception...
Since I see abortion as an act of violence, I see that this is a state issue... We could have literally by now stopped millions and millions of abortions by allowing the states to legislate...
Life is precious, we should not legalize the killing of an individual, somebody has to represent the small and the innocent." June 2011 Ron Paul
[Editor's Note: In addition to his Pro statement above, Ron Paul stated the following in his Dec. 19, 2011 addendum to the "Personhood Republican Presidential Candidate Pledge," available at www.personhoodusa.com: "I have previously sponsored a Human Life Amendment while in Congress, and though I ultimately do not believe this is how we will end abortion, achieving such an amendment is certainly a laudable goal. Of course, Presidents do not sign constitutional amendments - another reason I cannot guarantee what would happen on this issue.
A Human Life Amendment should do two things. First, it should define life as beginning at conception and give the unborn the same protection all other human life enjoys. Second, it must deal with the enforcement of the ruling much as any law against violence does - through state laws.
To summarize my views - I believe the federal government has a role to play. I believe Roe v. Wade should be repealed. I believe federal law should declare that life begins at conception. And I believe states should regulate the enforcement of this law, as they do other laws against violence."]
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, stated the following during a speech at Iowa's Faith & Freedom Coalition Presidential Forum Oct. 22, 2011, brodcast by C-SPAN:
"In order for America to maintain its moral authority abroad, we must set a high moral standard at home. That starts with protecting our most innocent and vulnerable unborn children. 50 million--50 million have died because America has not guaranteed the right to life expressly stated in the Declaration of Independence. As Governor of Texas and throughout my career I have taken an unwavering stand in defense of life...
[O]ne of the most important responsibilities of any president is to appoint federal judges who uphold the Constitution of the United States instead of rewriting it. Activist judges who gave us Roe vs. Wade, and it is time for activist citizens now to pass a human life amendment...
Being pro-life is not a matter of campaign convenience. It is a core conviction... It is a liberal canard to say, 'I am personally pro-life, but government should stay out of that decision.' If that is your view, you are not pro-life. You are pro 'having your cake and eating it too.' We respect life. We respect life as a gift of God, and what God has protected we should work to protect." Oct. 22, 2011 Rick Perry
[Editor's Note: Prior to his Now Con position listed above, Perry made a Not Clearly Pro or Con statement on July 27, 2011 (shown below) that abortion laws should be made at the state level and not the federal level. Many people had interpreted that statement to mean that Perry did not support making abortion illegal at a national level.
However, Perry has since clarified his views and indicated support for a US constitutional amendment to ban abortion. He expressed his support for a pro-life amendment in the above Oct. 22, 2011 statement at Iowa's Faith & Freedom Coalition Presidential Forum, and also in a July 29, 2011 email from his spokesperson Katherine Cesinger to the Houston Chronicle: "The governor has long supported overturning Roe v. Wade, and would support amending the US Constitution, with the backing of Congress and the states, to protect innocent life."]
"You either have to believe in the 10th Amendment or you don't. You can't believe in the 10th Amendment for a few issues and then [for] something that doesn't suit you say, 'We'd rather not have states decide that.'" July 27, 2011 Rick Perry
Buddy Roemer, former Governor of Louisiana, stated the following in an Aug. 30, 2011 interview, "The Buddy System," available at www.slate.com:
"I'm a Methodist. I would call my position the Methodist position. We are pro-life, so we would protect the life of the mother, and protect her in cases of rape and incest." Aug. 30, 2011 Buddy Roemer
[Editor's Note: In 1991, as Governor of Louisiana, Roemer vetoed an anti-abortion bill that included exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother’s life was in danger. According to the June 15, 1991 Los Angeles Times article "Gov. Roemer Vetoes Anti-Abortion Bill,” Roemer said: "As the bill stands now, its definitions and terminology are so vague that doctors will be unwilling to risk their liberty and professional careers by terminating any form of pregnancy at all."]
Rick Santorum, former US Senator (R-PA), stated the following in his newsletter, "Video: Rick Santorum vs. Barbara Boxer on Life," available at ricksantorum.com (accessed Sep. 21, 2011):
"I am pro-life. Unequivocally. And I don't just check the pro-life boxes, I have stood on the front lines fighting the fight to protect the unborn during my entire career in public service. There are some in our party who simply say that they are pro-life but then quietly shrink away when it comes to really fighting for the unborn. Not me. I led the fight to ban partial birth abortions; I was the author of the Born Alive Infants Protection bill and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. All three of these pieces of legislation ensure that the most vulnerable among us are protected. I have been a passionate fighter for the unborn, and I will continue that fight as President of the United States." Sep. 21, 2011 Rick Santorum
[Editors' Note: In response to the question "Do you believe that there should be any legal exceptions for rape or incest when it comes to abortion?," Rick Santorum said in a June 12, 2011 Meet the Press interview, available at YouTube.com: "I believe that life begins at conception and that that life should be guaranteed under the constitution, that is a person... I believe that life is sacred... I believe that that life should be protected at the moment it is a human life - at conception."]
[Editor's Note: Prior to Rick Santorum's Con position, he held a Pro position as indicated in his 1990 issue statement on abortion below, reprinted in the Feb. 21, 2012 Huffington Post article "Santorum in '95" by Sam Stein and Jason Cherkis.]
"Abortion is such a deeply wrenching issue because it poses a conflict between essential values. The unborn child's very life is at stake; the mother's future often hangs in the balance too, as an unwanted pregnancy can be unspeakably traumatic as well as limiting her educational, personal, and job opportunities...
While having no abortions would be ideal, it is very difficult to criminalize any activity once a large portion of society comes to see it as a 'right.' Tragically, that is what has happened with abortion. For this reason I have placed my emphasis not on advocating a Human Life Amendment, but on measures that would reshape the current social consensus and encourage pregnant women to choose life.
I do share the President's recognition that abortion in the 'hard cases' - rape, incest, and danger to the mother's health - cannot be prohibited by legislation." 1990 Rick Santorum
[Editor's Note: Rick Santorum also made the following Pro statement in a Dec. 1995 interview with Eric Konigsberg in Philadelphia Magazine titled "Rick Santorum: I Was Basically Pro-Choice All My Life Until I Ran for Congress" (195 KB), available at www.phillymag.com: "I was basically pro-choice all my life, until I ran for Congress." When asked by Konigsberg "So why did you change?," Santorum responded "I sat down and read the literature. Scientific literature... And religion too. It was both of those, science and religion."