Hi John,

In case you didn’t hear, pro-life incumbent Representative Tracy Cramer (R-Gervais) lost her re-election bid after more ballots were counted, despite a strong election night lead and apparent victory.

Oregon Right to Life PAC worked hard to ensure transparency and accuracy, working directly with the Cramer campaign and tracking down challenged ballots. But the fact is simply that Tracy, sadly, did not win. Pro-life lawmakers are once again in the “superminority.”

This loss was deeply disappointing, but there were still good things that came out of this election. We flipped a Republican seat from pro-abortion to pro-life in rural Lane County, which means the Oregon Republican caucus is 100% supported by Oregon Right to Life PAC. That makes a big difference.

And though we’d obviously rather hold a legislative majority, ORTL PAC is used to being the underdog. We know how to make the best use of our resources – especially our committed staff, volunteers, and grassroots supporters like you – to advocate for the most vulnerable. 

We rely on your help to be an effective voice for the unborn in Oregon. Right now, you can support us using the Oregon Political Tax Credit: Give $50–$100 to ORTL PAC before the December 31st deadline and receive every penny back.

We have a lot of work ahead of us here in Oregon, and we’re not wasting any time.

And there’s reason to be hopeful about the pro-life movement at the national level, too. 

This election, three states rejected pro-abortion ballot initiatives. Radically pro-abortion Kamala Harris experienced a resounding defeat. There are also encouraging signs from the incoming Trump administration:

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recommended defunding Planned Parenthood, an idea Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson seems to agree with. 

Trump has nominated several pro-life advocates for cabinet positions, including: 

• Attorney Harmeet Dhillon (who represented undercover investigator David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood) to be Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
• Pro-life Johns Hopkins surgeon Dr. Marty Makary to head the FDA (the agency responsible for approving the abortion drug mifepristone)
• Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has described her family as “very, very pro-life.”

I’m optimistic for the future, and I hope you are, too. Let’s redouble our efforts to build a culture of life in Oregon together.

Because everyone deserves an advocate,

Sharolyn Smith
Political Director

P.S. Don’t wait! Take advantage of the Oregon Political Tax Credit before December 31st. This is an opportunity to support ORTL PAC at no cost to you: you’ll receive the full amount back in your 2025 tax return. Divert your tax dollars away from abortion and toward protecting unborn lives.