WASHINGTON — Jezebel and The American Independent recently highlighted DLCC research showing that, despite what Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says, his abortion “limits” are actually a ban and every Virginia Republican legislator on the ballot for re-election this year is on the record with explicit anti-abortion positions. The report outlines the true stakes of this election: if Republicans win a trifecta on Nov. 7, Virginians will lose their access to abortion care.
Today, Jezebel reported that, even though Gov. Youngkin is trying to call his proposed abortion ban a “limit,” his own Republican candidates are still calling it what it is – a ban.
From Jezebel:
- “Republicans across the country continue to do backflips to try to make their unpopular abortion bans seem less bad: They keep lying about ballot measures and trying to paint Democrats as the real extremists. Virginia is no exception, and the November 7 elections will determine the fate of abortion access in the state. While Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has insisted—and spent $1.4 million to say as much—that his 15-week abortion ban is a “limit” and not a ban, his Republican colleagues running for state House and Senate have been undermining his rhetorical gymnastics.”
- “The $1.4 million ad that Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC is running on cable, streaming, and digital media falsely claims the party isn’t pushing for a ban and that it’s ‘disinformation’ to say otherwise.”
- “However, complicating Youngkin’s efforts to rebrand a ban as a mere ‘limit’ are the words of actual Republicans on the ballot in Virginia this fall. At least five of them have correctly called Youngkin’s bill a ban, per a memo shared with Jezebel by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to state legislatures.”
- “‘Despite his attempts to rebrand his proposed abortion restrictions, a ban is a ban,’ [DLCC Communications Director Abhi] Rahman said. “And it is these Republican legislators, not Gov. Youngkin, who will write and pass the legislation if they are elected in November.’”
And earlier, the American Independent highlighted how every-single incumbent Republican on the ballot in 2023 and two-thirds of GOP non-incumbents have taken a stance against abortion rights. Overall, ZERO Republicans have gone on the record to say they will protect abortion rights for Virginians or oppose new restrictions on abortion access.
From the The American Independent:
- “Every single incumbent Republican running for reelection in Virginia’s upcoming state legislative contests has made public comments against abortion rights…”
- “What’s more, more than two-thirds of the GOP nominees in competitive and noncompetitive seats alike in Virginia have made public statements against abortion…”
- “[Virginia] is also the only southern state that has not passed new abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. That’s because Democrats currently have a narrow majority in the Senate, allowing them to block Youngkin’s proposed 15-week ban.”
- “‘Overall, of the 116 Republicans running this year in Virginia, zero have gone on the record to say they will protect reproductive rights for Virginians or oppose new restrictions on abortion access, making it clear what the consequences will be if Republicans win a legislative majority this fall,’ the DLCC said in its report.”
In the Virginia legislative elections, when it comes to abortion access and fundamental freedoms, the stakes could not be clearer.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Interim President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“Don’t be fooled, a ban is a ban, period. Glenn Youngkin and his allies can try to act like he wouldn’t ban abortion but they will. The stakes could not be clearer this election. Virginia must remain a beacon of freedom and retain access to quality abortion care. We must vote for Democrats in every legislative election race now and through November 7th.”
This election will be the first time Virginians are voting for a full state legislature since Roe was overturned as well as their first time voting on new district lines, and fundamental freedoms are on the line. Across the country, Democratic majorities in state legislatures are moving quickly to protect and expand reproductive health care rights for their constituents. Meanwhile, Republicans are abusing their power to pass unpopular bans and restrict abortion access. Already, Virginia’s governor and the Republican majority in the House of Delegates have pledged to pass further bans.
The DLCC is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures. Last year, the DLCC defied the odds by not losing any state legislative majorities, flipping four key chambers, and creating four new Democratic trifectas – the best midterm year for the party in power since at least 1934. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and pass the policies that have the biggest impact on Americans’ day-to-day lives.
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