The Democrat who recently won an Alabama State House of Representatives victory says it is a sign of things to come after a recent in vitro fertilization court ruling.
Marilyn Lands, who ran her campaign on in vitro fertilization protections and openly talked about having an abortion, said she hopes her victory is a starting point to break the Republican majority in the state legislature, according to the Washington Examiner.
The 10th Alabama House District is one of the few competitive districts in heavily Republican Alabama. It includes the southern Huntsville suburbs, the Huntsville International Airport and the Redstone Arsenal military base. Donald Trump won the district by only a single percentage point in 2020.
The Washington Examiner report said the special election was triggered when former state Rep. David Cole pleaded guilty to felony voter fraud in August. Lands won by 25 percentage points over Republican Teddy Powell. Lands had previously run against Cole in the 2022 general election and narrowly lost, with Cole receiving 51% of the vote and 45% for Lands.
An analysis of the race by the Alabama Political Reporter confirmed that the special election had additional significance in the wake of Alabama’s recent legislative and judicial developments regarding reproductive rights, including the controversial ruling on IVF treatment and the enduring effects of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.
The Reporter said, “Lands’ focus on these issues, coupled with her grassroots campaign strategy, signals a deliberate attempt to galvanize support among voters concerned with the state’s direction on healthcare and reproductive rights.”
The Alabama Democrat Party was not shy in weighing in on the victory, posting on X, formerly Twitter, “Seat Flipped! Marilyn Lands is our new Democratic Representative for House District 10! Congratulations @MarilynForAL! This is a victory for Democrats in Alabama and for women’s right to choose! The Tide is Turning! #RoeRoeRoeandVote”
Seat Flipped! Marilyn Lands is our new Democratic Representative for House District 10! Congratulations @MarilynForAL! This is a victory for Democrats in Alabama and for women's right to choose! The Tide is Turning! #RoeRoeRoeandVote pic.twitter.com/8NV3Ni7jZT
— Alabama Democrats (@aldemocrats) March 27, 2024
The special election had drawn out-sized attention even before Lands secured the victory. The race was even the focus of a report on CNN’s primetime “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” program on March 22, which focused almost completely on Lands and her campaign.
