Political power. the anger of evangelicals was activated by segregation but continued segregation could prove to be a less than palatable way to motivate evangelical voters on a broad scale, not enough to win elections with, and that s where the issue of abortion came. in senate races in minnesota and iowa in 1978 showed that an anti-abortion pro-life movement could unite the religious right and give them real political power. in minnesota, pro life republicans won two senate seats. in iowa, the democratic incumbent senator dick clark was expected to win by a landslide. he did not. primarily due to the work of mostly catholic pro-life activists. clark had supported federal funding for abortions for low income women and opposed an amendment that would restrict abortions, so at the abortion activist rallied support. richard clark, six years in the u.s. senate, and then out on