After the Republican Scott Brown defeated the attorney general of Massachusetts, Martha Coakley, a pro-choice Catholic, in a special election for the U.S. Senate on Jan. 19, the positive reaction of some Catholics and pro-life advocates led many to believe that Brown is a Catholic who takes a 100 percent pro-life stand. Neither is the case. Brown and his family are members of the Christian Reformed Church. And although he opposes partial-birth abortion and supports parental notification, Brown believes the decision on abortion “should ultimately be made by the woman in consultation with her doctor,” according to his campaign Web site. Brown supports reducing the number of abortions in America and promotes adoption as an alternative to abortion.