Bush Selects Pro-Life Ex-Gov to Head Republican Party

December 08, 2001—Washington, DC: President George W. Bush on Wednesday selected former Montana Governor Marc Racicot (pronounced Roscoe) to be the next chairman of the Republican Party. Bush's selection delighted pro-life organizations because of Racicot's strong pro-life record during his tenure.

"President George W. Bush has often states that believes that unborn children should be welcomed in life and protected by law. He has continued to carry out this philosophy by appointing a solidly pro-life chairman to head the national Republican Party. As Governor, Marc Racicot worked very closely with our affiliate, Montana Right to Life," said Carol Tobias, the director of National Right to Life's Political Action Committee.

The director of Montana Right to Life during the Racicot administration praised the selection.

"Marc Racicot is pro-life. He has outstanding charisma, he's an excellent fundraiser and the people will love him. He will make a great chairman," explained former MRTL director Richard Tappe.

Montana Right to Life credits Racicot with providing key leadership on numerous pro-life issues.

In 1995, Racicot signed three major pieces of pro-life legislation—the first since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalized unlimited abortion. These included a parental notification bill, right-to-know legislation that included providing women about the link between abortion and breast cancer, and legislation preventing non-physicians from performing abortions. Montana is one state that has a nurse practitioner performing hundreds of abortions annually.

Racicot also signed a bill to ban partial-birth abortions in 1997, one of the first states to pass the law.

Elected as Governor in 1992 and reelected in 1996, Racicot chose pro-life running mates both times.

His first running mate, Dennis Rehberg, then a pro-life state Representative, now serves as the state's lone member of Congress. Racicot's choice for a Lt. Governor running mate in 1996 was businesswoman Judy Martz. Martz is now Montana's pro-life Governor, the first woman to serve as Governor in Montana.

According to Montana Right to Life one of the actions Racicot took during his tenure that stands out was his opposition to an executive order early in former President Bill Clinton's administration. Clinton mandated that state Medicaid money must pay for abortions in cases of rape and incest.

At the time, Montana's law prohibit such taxpayer funding of abortion and limited abortion funding to the rare cases when the pregnancy would take the mother's life.

Although he had no power as Governor to overturn the decision, Racicot felt obligated to "let the people of Montana know where I stand."

He crafted a letter to Montana's state auditor (who later lost to Martz in the 2000 gubernatorial election). In his letter, Racicot said he objected to the taxpayer funding of abortion and urged Montana attorneys to view the directive as an option not a requirement.

Racicot, a close friend of Bush, will replace Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, who resigned the post last Friday, citing family reasons. Party leaders were expected to endorse his selection at their winter meeting in Austin, Texas in January.

Racicot was one of the most visible members of the Bush camp as the five-week public relations, political and legal battle raged over the Florida vote that eventually would decide the presidency.

The official position of the Republican National Committee is to support legal protection for unborn children. This pro-life platform has been re-adopted at several presidential conventions since its introduction.