Pro-Life (born Marvin Thomas Richardson; August 5, 1941) is an American

perennial candidate A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...

and strawberry farmer known for his strong opposition to abortion, which inspired him to legally change his name. He lives in the unincorporated community of Letha, Idaho. He has made several unsuccessful runs for political office in Idaho and has stated his intention to continue running for office until his death. Pro-Life ran in the

2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Idaho, one from both of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with ...

, receiving 2.2% of the vote, and was most recently the Constitution Party nominee in the 2022 Idaho lieutenant gubernatorial election, receiving 5.1%.

Early life and education

Born Marvin Thomas Richardson, Pro-Life was born in

Carbon County, Wyoming Carbon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 14,537. Its county seat is Rawlins. Its south border abuts the north line of Colorado. History Carbon County was organized in 18 ...

to a Latter Day Saint family. He played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

in high school and attended

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

on an

athletic scholarship An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United ...

but was eventually cut from the varsity basketball team. He graduated from BYU in 1967 with a degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

after serving as an

LDS missionary Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and communi ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

. Pro-Life has worked as an

organic farmer Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

since 2002, mainly farming strawberries. He has previously worked as an accountant,

coal miner Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

, and salesman of

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

equipment and Caterpillar parts.

Career

Campaigns

As Marvin Richardson, Pro-Life first ran for public office in 2004, when he challenged

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Kathy Skippen for a seat in the

Idaho House of Representatives The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate se ...

. Skippen won 78% to 22%. Having legally changed his middle name to "Pro-Life" in 2004, Richardson filed for the 2006 Idaho governor's race as Marvin Pro-Life Richardson. The Idaho Secretary of State's office would not allow Richardson to appear on the ballot with his new middle name, although he could be listed as Marvin P. Richardson. Secretary of State

Ben Ysursa Ben T. Ysursa (born June 10, 1949) is an American attorney and politician who served as the Secretary of State of Idaho from 2003 to 2015. Early life and education A native of Boise, Idaho, Ysursa graduated from Bishop Kelly High School in 1967. ...

said, "We've made it clear to him since March we were not going to put '

pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respon ...

' on the ballot, and that's still our position. The ballot is not supposed to be a forum for political expression—it's supposed to be as neutral as it can be." Richardson was invited to participate in the 2006 gubernatorial debate, but did not respond to his invitation in time. Initially, Richardson was the Constitution Party's candidate in the 2006 gubernatorial election, but the Constitution Party of Idaho disavowed him. That year, he had his name changed to simply "Pro-Life," but still appeared as Marvin Richardson on the ballot. In the election, he received 1.62 percent of the vote, behind

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Jerry Brady and the winner,

Butch Otter Clement Leroy "Butch" Otter (born May 3, 1942) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of Idaho from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2006, and reelected in 2010, and 2014. Otter ...

. In 2008, Pro-Life ran as an independent for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

seat being vacated by

Larry Craig Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican, he served 18 years in the United States Senate (1991–2009), preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, repres ...

. That year, he was allowed to appear on the ballot as "Pro-Life". The executive director of an Idaho anti-abortion group expressed concern that voters would mistake Pro-Life's name on the ballot for a position rather than a candidate. Such fears led to a qualifier next to Pro-Life's name on the ballot: "(A person, formerly known as Marvin Richardson)". He has appeared thus on all subsequent Idaho ballots. He received 1.34 percent of the votes in the race, behind Libertarian Kent Marmon, independent

Rex Rammell Rex Floyd Rammell (born January 2, 1961) is an American veterinarian and perennial candidate for public office in Idaho and Wyoming. Early life Rammell was born on January 2, 1961, in Tetonia, Idaho and was raised in Eastern Idaho. Career Ramme ...

, Democrat

Larry LaRocco Larry LaRocco (born August 25, 1946) is an American politician who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the Idaho's 1st congressional district. LaRocco ran for lieutenant governorship in 2006 and the U.S. Senate in ...

, and the winner, Republican

Jim Risch James Elroy Risch ( ; born May 3, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Idaho since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as lieutenant governor of Idaho under governors Dirk Kem ...

. In 2010, Pro-Life ran for governor for a second time. He came in fifth in the race, behind Libertarian Ted Dunlap, independent Jana Kemp, Democrat Keith Allred, and the winner, Republican Butch Otter. Pro-Life was a candidate for

Idaho's 1st congressional district Idaho's 1st congressional district is one of two congressional districts in the U.S. state of Idaho. It comprises the western portion of the state. The 1st district is currently represented by Russ Fulcher, a Republican from Boise, who was fir ...

in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

in 2012. He ran against incumbent Republican

Raúl Labrador Raúl Rafael Labrador (born December 8, 1967) is an American lawyer and politician who is the Attorney General-elect of Idaho. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the Idaho Republican Party from 2019 to 2020 and served as the U.S. Repre ...

and Democrat

Jimmy Farris James Robert Farris (born April 13, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver who retired from the NFL in 2009. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Congress in 2012. Early years Farris attended Lewiston High School in ...

. According to

OpenSecrets OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...

, Pro-Life's 2012 campaign was entirely self-financed. The incumbent won the race. Pro-Life ran a third campaign for

Governor of Idaho A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Pro-Life ran for the Senate again in 2016. He was defeated in the Constitution Party primary on May 17, 2016 by Ray J. Writz.

Political views

Pro-Life has said he believes that abortion is murder, and he supports charging doctors who perform abortions with murder. He opposed the

Troubled Asset Relief Program The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) is a program of the United States government to purchase toxic assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President ...

as a candidate in 2008, citing concerns that its implementation would result in "a total fascist dictatorship run by the bankers." He opposes war undertaken without a declaration of war by Congress; he supports a

non-interventionist Non-interventionism or non-intervention is a political philosophy or national foreign policy doctrine that opposes interference in the domestic politics and affairs of other countries but, in contrast to isolationism, is not necessarily opposed t ...

foreign policy and considers the wars in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, and

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

to be unjust and unconstitutional. He also opposes public education, which he considers to be communist. After the

Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...

, he suggested allowing Idaho sheriffs to organize groups of armed volunteers to protect schools.

Personal life

Pro-Life is a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...

. As Marvin Richardson, he married Jean Benson in 1964; they divorced in 1982. He has been married to Kirsten Faith since 1982. In 2006, she ran for the Idaho House of Representatives as the Constitution Party nominee against Republican Steven Thayn, receiving 3,026 votes (24.56%). Pro-Life encouraged her to run for this position, despite their conviction that women should not work outside the home. Pro-Life has 15 children, seven from his previous wife, and eight from his current wife. Formerly a member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

, Pro-Life left the church in 1998, because of his view that the church does not ascribe

personhood Personhood or personality is the status of being a person. Defining personhood is a controversial topic in philosophy and law and is closely tied with legal and political concepts of citizenship, equality, and liberty. According to law, only a l ...

to the unborn.

Electoral history

Idaho House of Representatives (2004)

Governor of Idaho (2006, 2010, 2014)

U.S. Senate (2008)

U.S. House of Representatives (2012, 2020)

References

External links

Official website as of May 2016Pro-Life
at

Project Vote Smart Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in s ...

* from

PoliticIt PoliticIt operates a website that features podcast covering gubernatorial, senatorial, and congressional candidates in all 50 U.S. states. PoliticIt has been headquartered in Logan, Utah since the company was first established. Some PoliticIt emp ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pro-Life 1941 births Living people 20th-century Christians 20th-century Mormon missionaries 21st-century American politicians 21st-century Christians American accountants American anti-abortion activists American men's basketball players American Mormon missionaries in the United States Brigham Young University alumni BYU Cougars men's basketball players Farmers from Idaho Former Latter Day Saints Idaho Constitutionalists Idaho Independents Non-interventionism People from Carbon County, Wyoming People from Gem County, Idaho Republican Party (United States) politicians American anti-communists Idaho Republicans Right-wing populism in the United States