40 Years Ago this week, Democrat Ellen McCormack, pro-life columnist, wife and mother, made Pro Life history by being nominated for president at the Democratic National Convention back when the Democratic Party was Pro-Life.
Ellen McCormack: Pro-Life’s Presidential Candidate of 1976
Ellen McCormack ran for president at the behest of a small pro-life group—The Pro-Life Action Committee—that operated out the Cure of Ars Parish in Merrick, New York. The goal was to use the campaign as a platform to educate the public on pro-life issues by taking advantage of election rules which required the media to give all candidates equal time. Relying on thousands of grassroots pro-lifers across the country, she managed to raise $5000 in small contributions in 20 states, becoming the first woman in American history to qualify for matching funds. Her campaign was not without some controversy. Her single-issue candidacy annoyed political elites so much that they voted a change in funding rules in the middle of the election. As of May 1976, any candidate who did not gain more than 10% in two successive primaries would no longer be eligible for public money. Nevertheless, she had managed to raised $280 00 in small donations, received $240 000 from matching funds for a grand total of half a million dollars, of which $330 000 paid for television advertising. bigbluewave.ca