Why the Texas State Senator Whose Pro-Abortion Filibuster Thrust Her Into the National Spotlight Says She's 'Pro-Life

Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis in a speech Tuesday told an audience that she is "pro-life," a remark that has left some abortion opponents scratching their heads.

State Sen. Wendy Davis holds up two fingers against the anti-abortion bill SB5 (Getty Images)

“I am pro-life,” Davis during a speech at the University of Texas' Brownsville campus.

She clarified her remark: “I care about the life of every child; every child that goes to bed hungry, every child that goes to bed without a proper education, every child that goes to bed without being able to be a part of the Texas dream, every woman and man who worry about their children's future and their ability to provide for that future.”

Davis is known primarily for her 10-plus filibuster of a state bill that imposes stricter sanitary regulations on abortion clinics and bans abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Her failed attempts to block the bill gained her fame and donations from pro-abortion groups from around the country. She later decided that she would run to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

However, Davis' "pro-life" positions may prove troublesome for her campaign.

Nearly 62 percent of Texas residents support a ban on abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy and roughly 46 percent of Texans think abortion should either be illegal or only legal in the cases of rape, incest, or when there is danger to the life of the mother, according to a poll conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune.

With those kinds of numbers, the thing that propelled Davis to fame may also be the thing to sink her bid for higher office in the state.

"The problem is, in terms of electability ... just being popular in the Democratic Party isn't enough to win in Texas," St. Edwards University's Brian William Smith said shortly after Davis' filibuster.

(H/T: Washington Examiner)

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