Marilyn Lands, a Democrat, won a special election for a state House seat in Alabama on Tuesday. She made abortion rights and in vitro fertilization a big part of her campaign.
Lands, a qualified professional counselor, beat Teddy Powell, a Republican member of the Madison City Council who used to work as a budget analyst for the Defense Department. In the 10th District of the state, the spot in the Huntsville area had been held by R.
The women and families of Alabama sent a strong message today that will be heard in Montgomery and all over the country. “Our legislature must get rid of Alabama’s blanket ban on abortion, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to birth control,” Lands said in a statement released by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a group that backed her campaign.
With all the votes in, Lands had 63% of the vote to Powell’s 37%.
Moore told Alabama Daily News, “The voters have spoken, and I’m honored to have been considered for this office.” “I wish Mrs. Lands the best of luck as she starts her new job in the House of Representatives representing District 10.”
When asked for a comment, Powell’s campaign did not reply right away.
Lands talked a lot about IVF and access to abortions while she was running. She told voters that she wants to get rid of the state’s almost complete ban on abortions, which was put in place after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Groups like Planned Parenthood, the Alabama AFL-CIO, and Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that fights for gun control, have backed her campaign.
After a decision by the state Supreme Court in February that put IVF at risk, Republicans pushed for and Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill to protect the procedure. The election on Tuesday was seen as an early test for Democrats who are running on IVF issues after the high court’s decision.
The special election was held because David Cole, a Republican who lost to Lands by 7 percentage points in 2022, admitted to voting fraud and quit his job last year.
In the state House, Republicans have a 75-27 edge over Democrats.
Since the 2022 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, abortion has been on the ballot many times, and each time it has been defeated, dealing a blow to those who are against abortion. It’s likely to still be a big issue in November, but it’s not clear if it will be as strong as it was in the midterms.