By: Peggy Fikac

On the anti-abortion side, White’s declaration that he would defend women’s right to abortion drew a rebuke from executive director Joe Pojman of the Texas Alliance for Life.

Pojman accused the Democratic Party of pressuring White “to renounce his pro-life values.”

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“We sincerely hope that Mr. White will untangle himself and return to his original position of support for the unborn, and offer Democrat voters a true pro-life option in this runoff,” Pojman said in a statement.

By: Andrea Zelinski

Should the rule go into place, it would force facilities like Planned Parenthood to either abandon providing abortions to continue receiving Title X federal funds or lose the funding. It would likely also spur a legal challenge.

“We would hope that they would chose to provide health services for women and get out of the abortion industry. We don’t think they’re going to do that,” said Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion group active in Texas politics.

By: Mike Ward

Earlier Friday, a war of words had erupted over White’s position on abortion, after a prominent Texas pro-life group usually aligned with Republicans blasted the Texas Democratic Party for pressuring White to “renounce his pro-life values” to run as a Democrat.

“(White’s) previously stated stance of being ‘deeply, personally’ pro-life and his position as an elder of a Houston church that is part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) gave us hope that the Democratic Party would be open to a pro-life candidate,” said Joe Pojman, executive director of the Texas Alliance for Life.

“As an elder in a PCA church, Mr. White was tasked with upholding the Church’s teachings, which include opposing abortion in all forms. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.”

The Houston Chronicle reported that White had resigned his position as an elder as a result of the controversy over his public pro-choice position as a candidate.

“For too long, the Democratic Party of Texas has abandoned Texans who believe in defending the sanctity of life,” Pojman said. “They have turned the abortion debate into a litmus test and excluded candidates who seek to bring a pro-life voice into the party, and thus have forced Mr. White to abandon his pro-life position.”

White rejected Pojman’s call to be pro-life.

By: Mike Ward

In an unexpected twist, a prominent Texas pro-life group usually aligned with Republicans is blasting the state Democratic Party and taking up for one of the two Democrats in a May 22 runoff for governor.

Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, in a Friday statement blasted the party for pressuring one of the two runoff candidates, Andrew White, “to renounce his pro-life values” and embrace abortion rights.

“As we approach the May 22 runoff election, Texas Alliance for Life is discouraged that the Texas Democratic Party has pressured Andrew White to renounce his pro-life values and embrace Roe v. Wade,” read the statement.

The remarks were made public just hours before White, a Houston entrepreneur, and former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez were set for their only primary runoff debate in Austin.
“(White’s) previously-stated stance of being ‘deeply, personally’ pro-life and his position as an elder of a Houston church that is part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) gave us hope that the Democratic Party would be open to a pro-life candidate,” Pojman’s statement reads.

“As an elder in a PCA church, Mr. White was tasked with upholding the Church’s teachings, which include opposing abortion in all forms. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.”

The Houston Chronicle reported that White had resigned his position as an elder as a result of the controversy over his public pro-choice position as a candidate.

“For too long, the Democratic Party of Texas has abandoned Texans who believe in defending the sanctity of life,” Pojman said. “They have turned the abortion debate into a litmus test and excluded candidates who seek to bring a pro-life voice into the party, and thus have forced Mr. White to abandon his pro-life position.

“We sincerely hope that Mr. White will untangle himself and return to his original position of support for the unborn, and offer Democrat voters a true pro-life option in this runoff.”

By: Amber Joseph, News Interactive Producer

Corey Tabor of Manor is founder and pastor at Full Life Community Church and Austin LifeGuard program director with Austin LifeCare. He is vice president of development for Manor Schoolhouse Foundation, secretary of the Texas Alliance for Life Board, and member of the Embrace Initiative and the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Tabor received a Bachelor of Science in communication studies from The University of Texas at Austin and Masters of Ministry Leadership from Rockbridge Seminary.