Democrats with conservative positions on social issues such as abortion continue to disappear from Congress. Half as many pro-life Democrats sit in Congress today than two years ago, and—thanks to redistricting and retirements—in six months the number may be cut in half again.
Of the 20 Democrats who voted for a May bill that would ban gender-based abortions, as few as eight are likely to win reelection. And the number is almost certain to be no higher than 13.
In the 2010 election, pro-life groups targeted pro-life Democrats who supported President Obama's health-care law. Even some Democrats who opposed the law faced opposition by conservatives who saw the midterm election as a golden opportunity to put a more conservative Republican in office. The result: The number of pro-life Democrats shrank by half....