Elections Are Cyclical. Our Mission Endures
By Marie Tasy, Executive Director, New Jersey Right to Life
Election Results and Their Consequences
The November 3 midterm elections reshaped the political landscape in Washington. Democrats won control of both the U.S. House and Senate, shifting the balance of power for the final two years of President Trump’s administration.
In New Jersey, Senator Cory Booker won reelection over Republican challenger Justin Murphy, whom we thank for his principled campaign and commitment to protecting human life. Democrats also picked up two congressional seats previously held by Republicans, defeating Congressmen Tom Kean Jr. in the Seventh District and Jeff Van Drew in the Second District.
We are grateful that Congressman Chris Smith, a longtime leader in the defense of human life, won reelection in the Fourth District. He will now be the sole Republican representing New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives.
These results carry real consequences for federal abortion policy.
As National Right to Life detailed in its September 30 analysis, “The First 100 Hours: A House Blueprint to Federalize Abortion,” a House Democratic working group has outlined its priorities for a new Congress. They include the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would override many state laws protecting babies before birth, and the EACH Act, which would eliminate the Hyde Amendment and open the door to taxpayer funding of elective abortion through Medicaid and other federal programs. The group’s memorandum also calls for restoring Title X funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.
Democrats will not have the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto, so President Trump remains an important safeguard. But control of Congress still matters. Leadership decides which bills advance, which protections are defended, and which priorities shape the national debate.
Abortion Ballot Measures: Mixed Results Across Four States
Voters in four states also decided abortion ballot measures, with mixed results.
In Idaho, voters rejected Proposition 1, which would have created a broad statutory right to abortion and threatened protections such as parental consent. In Missouri, voters rejected Amendment 3, which would have replaced the sweeping abortion provisions adopted in 2024 with language allowing stronger protections for unborn children and parental consent requirements.
In Virginia, voters approved Question 1, enshrining abortion in the state constitution. Its broad health exception will permit abortion throughout pregnancy, and it could jeopardize parental consent requirements and conscience protections for medical professionals. In Nevada, voters approved Question 6 for the second time, establishing a constitutional right to abortion with a health exception that could likewise allow abortion through all nine months.
These outcomes are a reminder that laws and constitutional amendments adopted today can affect generations to come.
Looking Ahead: Our Mission Continues
In New Jersey and several other states, important legislative elections lie ahead in 2027. In these states, voters will have another opportunity to shape the direction of public policy, including policies affecting the protection of human life.
But the work of the pro-life movement does not begin or end at the ballot box.
Every day, pregnancy resource centers offer women facing unexpected pregnancies pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education, material help, and compassionate support, often at no cost. They continue to face political and legal attacks, which is why Congressman Smith’s Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act is so important. Safe Haven laws give desperate parents a lifesaving alternative. Adoption, which we celebrate this month during National Adoption Month, gives children the chance to thrive in loving homes.
Pro-life advocates also continue to educate the public, monitor legislation, protect babies born alive after attempted abortions, defend parental rights, and demand accountability for the risks of abortion drugs. That work is especially urgent in New Jersey and other blue states, where longstanding protections for human life have been weakened or eliminated.
We have been here before. The pro-life movement has weathered political setbacks and legislative defeats, and we have never let them define our mission. Elections are cyclical. Perseverance matters. Progress often takes time.
As Thanksgiving approaches, there is still much for which to be grateful: every baby whose life has been saved, every mother who received the help she needed, every family built through adoption. We are grateful for the elected officials who defend life, the volunteers who give their time, and the supporters like you who make this work possible.
The election may change the immediate political landscape. It does not change the value of the lives we seek to protect. There will still be mothers who need help, babies who deserve protection, and laws that must be challenged or strengthened.
And with your prayers, help and support, we will continue to answer that call.