The political action committee for NARAL Pro-Choice America, the abortion-rights group, announced a new round of endorsements on Thursday, bringing the total number of Congressional candidates it is supporting this cycle to 12.

The latest NARAL-backed candidates include Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D), who is running for Senate.

On the House side, NARAL is supporting Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) and Florida state Sen. Ted Deutch (D), who is the odds-on favorite to win a special election next month in the 19th district.

Last fall, NARAL announced its endorsement of Democratic Reps. Paul Hodes (N.H.) and Kendrick Meek (Fla.) in their Senate bids, and fellow Democratic Reps. Betsy Markey (Colo.), Scott Murphy (N.Y.), Mark Schauer (Mich.) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.) in their re-election efforts. The group has also endorsed attorney Ann McLane Kuster (D) in her campaign to win Hodes’ open seat in New Hampshire.

“We are proud to put our support behind this outstanding slate of pro-choice candidates,” NARAL President Nancy Keenan said in a statement Thursday. “Our goals for 2010 are clear: We will do all we can to protect the tremendous gains we made in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles and find opportunities to support pro-choice challengers who have real opportunities to unseat anti-choice incumbents in Congress.”