Democrats seem to have flipped a essential Senate seat within the Virginia legislature on Tuesday — most likely safeguarding the state from enacting a 15-week abortion ban.
Aaron Rouse, a former NFL participant and Virginia Seaside councilmember, holds a slim lead over Republican Kevin Adams, a Military veteran, as of Wednesday morning. The particular election used to be held to fill a swing-district seat vacated via Republican Jen Kiggans after she used to be elected to the U.S. Space in November.
It used to be a decent race, with Rouse taking 50.41% of the votes and Adams 49.51%, in line with the Virginia Public Get admission to Undertaking. Rouse these days leads Adams via simply 348 votes. Even if Virginia Public Get admission to Undertaking referred to as the race for Rouse ― and Rouse and Democrats have claimed victory ― absentee ballots are nonetheless being counted. As of Wednesday morning, Adams had no longer conceded.
“THANK YOU! Along with your give a boost to, and the give a boost to of electorate from throughout Virginia Seaside and Norfolk, we now have gained this Particular Election,” Rouse tweeted on Tuesday evening. “No relaxation for the weary – the following day, we head to Richmond to get to paintings for Virginia households.”
The election attracted large cash from all sides of the aisle as a result of its end result will most likely have an oversized affect at the destiny of abortion rights in Virginia. Rouse is pro-choice and promised to “fiercely offer protection to the best to an abortion,” whilst Adams opposes abortion and supported a 15-week ban with exceptions for rape, incest and the lifetime of the pregnant individual.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) first hinted at the potential for a 15-week abortion ban in December when he proposed allocating $50,000 to ascertain the sort of ban within the state finances. Youngkin, a possible 2024 presidential candidate, first of all painted himself as a reasonable on abortion rights at the marketing campaign path in 2021 however temporarily modified his track as soon as in place of job.
“I’m proud to be a pro-life governor and plan to take each and every motion I will be able to to offer protection to lifestyles,” Youngkin stated in a observation to the clicking not up to an hour after the Ultimate Court docket repealed federal abortion protections ultimate summer season.
“Any invoice that involves my table, I can signal thankfully and gleefully so as to offer protection to lifestyles,” Youngkin informed a gaggle of supporters days later.
If Rouse’s slim lead holds, his win solidifies a 21-18 Democratic majority within the state Senate. Then again, state Sen. Joe Morrissey, an anti-abortion Democrat, has stated he can be open to supporting a restriction if regulation made it to the Senate flooring. If Adams makes a comeback, Morrissey’s swing vote may make a narrow Democratic majority necessarily needless for shielding abortion rights.
Whilst a 15-week abortion ban might appear reasonable in a post-Roe international the place just about a dozen states have near-total abortion bans, it could have massive penalties for Virginians and people in the hunt for care from neighboring states. Lately, Virginia lets in abortion via the second one trimester of being pregnant and into the 3rd if the mummy’s lifestyles is in peril. As well as, it’s one among a handful of states that permits abortion in the course of the twenty eighth week of being pregnant, making it a secure haven for abortions later in being pregnant.
“We’re delighted to congratulate Sen.-elect Aaron Rouse who valiantly and unapologetically made this particular election about protective abortion rights,” Jamie Lockhart, government director of Deliberate Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, stated in a Tuesday evening observation.
“The electorate of SD-07 spoke back loudly and obviously that they wish to see abortion secure, no longer banned ― as do nearly all of Virginians all all over the commonwealth. When our rights are at the line, electorate display up in give a boost to of reproductive freedom,” she persevered. “It is a essential victory for well being care get admission to and the way forward for abortion rights in our commonwealth, and we sit up for running with Sen.-elect Rouse and all of our allies within the Normal Meeting who will boldly champion Virginians’ freedom this legislative consultation.”