Alabama Democrat Flips Seat in Special Election After Campaigning on Reproductive Rights
"Our legislature must repeal Alabama’s no-exceptions abortion ban, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to contraception," Marilyn Lands said in a statement after defeating her Republican opponent.
Photo: Marilyn Lands Campaign/Teddy Powell Campaign AbortionPolitics
An Alabama Democrat won a special election for a state House seat on Tuesday, flipping the Republican-controlled district where Trump won by one point in 2020. The Democrat, Marilyn Lands, campaigned heavily on the state’s total abortion ban as well as the recent crisis around IVF access—in February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are “children” and eligible for wrongful death lawsuits, leading multiple fertility clinics to pause their IVF services.
“Today, Alabama women and families sent a clear message that will be heard in Montgomery and across the nation. Our legislature must repeal Alabama’s no-exceptions abortion ban, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to contraception,” Lands said in a statement on Tuesday night after defeating her Republican opponent, Madison City Council member Teddy Powell. Lands won handily by about 25 points—by contrast, in the 2022 general election for the same seat, Lands lost by seven points to David Cole, a Republican who last year pleaded guilty to a voter fraud charge (cool!) and resigned.
Last month, access to IVF was thrown into chaos across Alabama when several fertility clinics paused IVF services and no one could transport their embryos out of state. Republican politicians across the country were put on defense over their policy position that “life begins at conception,” thus recognizing embryos as “children” and endangering IVF. Lands, who was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, capitalized on this, running in opposition to the state’s abortion ban and advocating for the Right to Contraception bill to fully restore IVF and protect access to contraception. Her campaign Instagram features a post warning against the “lifelong consequences of forced birth,” with the caption, “As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I’ve worked with victims of unspeakable crimes. Forcing women who have been raped to give birth to their attacker’s child has life-long physical and psychological consequences. As your legislator, I will work tirelessly to make certain that victims of these horrific acts of violence have the right to make this decision for themselves.”
In the Huntsville AL area, Democrats have flipped state House District 10 tonight. In 2022, Marilyn Lands (D) lost by about 7 points. This time, she won by almost 25%, sweeping nearly everything.