Mass. House Barely Stays Pro-Choice

The Massachusetts House of Representatives came within a hair's-breadth of losing its pro-choice majority as a result of Tuesday's elections, but will squeak through with a bare edge of 81 of 160 members.

Choice advocates, who count 95 supporters in the House now, briefly believed Tuesday night that the tally would fall below 80. But Andrea Miller, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, says this morning that 81 supporters of reproductive rights will be sworn in next January.

Many of the losses were representatives who did not run for re-election -- some of whom, like Katherine Clark and Barry Finegold, were elected as state senators, bringing the pro-choice majority there to a record-high 29 of 40, according to Miller.

A number of pro-choice representatives were defeated Tuesday by pro-life Republicans, including Geraldo Alicea, Bill Bowles, Danielle Gregoire, Barbara L'Italien, and Allen McCarthy.

Representatives Brian Ashe, Theodore Speliotis, Harriett Stanley, and David Torrisi all squeaked out narrow victories, as did a few pro-choice Democrats running for open seats, helping to maintain the narrow majority.