A loss for Missouri women

Last Tuesday, the State Senate race for District 7 was decided in the Republican primary. The district is strongly Republican, so the primary decides the race. Despite strong grass-roots support, Gina Loudon lost.
With Loudon's loss, Missouri women lost the loudest voice in the Capitol speaking out for our right to choose a midwife, and for our right to give birth at home with a qualified attendant.
With Jane Cunningham's win, the medical associations gained another pawn in their fight against pregnant women's autonomy. Cunningham has been a representative for eight years. Years ago, she twice voted in favor of midwifery. Since then, however, the doctors' unions convinced her to switch her loyalty from constituents to contributors. In return, the medical lobby financed Cunningham's campaign for State Senate. They now control two Missouri State Senators, Cunningham and Graham (D-Columbia).