PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) – When Ray Pickett knocked on a door on a sunny Saturday in early October, he stood on the stoop of Richelle Hines, wearing a pink T-shirt that foreshadowed the case he wanted to make to Virginia voters.
It read, “Abortion is on the ballot.”
When Pickett knocked on his door in Petersburg, Virginia, Hines answered with a sly smile and one of his own T-shirts. “She who kneels before God can stand before anyone.”
The polite exchange between Mr. Pickett and Mr. Hines revealed the complexity of the most stark policy differences between the two women vying to become Virginia’s first female governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earl Sears. Winner will likely influence abortion laws the only southern state Widespread access to abortion has remained since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down abortion in 2022 national rights Go to the steps.
Spanberger, a former congressman, supports an amendment to the state constitution that would only go to voters if Democrats maintain a majority in the House of Representatives. Virginia Lieutenant Governor Earl Sears has been an outspoken opponent of abortion rights throughout his political career.
Both candidates have criticized the other as an outlier on abortion. But they also focus on other issues, from Mr. Spanberger’s focus on the economy to Mr. Earl Sears’ opposition. rights of transgender people.
Pickett, who works for a family planning advocacy group in Virginia, specifically visited the homes of Democratic voters. She immediately encouraged those who responded to vote. She knew that if these people were supporting Democrats in battleground congressional districts, for whatever reason, they were effectively voting for abortion rights as well.
Asked about her views on abortion, Hines said, “I understand that in some situations it’s necessary and in other cases it’s preventable.”
She added with a sigh. “That’s a big deal.”
Clear choices facing Virginians
Nationally, abortion rights advocates are looking to Virginia for clues about how the issue will affect the midterm movement in 2026. control of parliament And dozens of state capitols are at risk.
“We know that this election is indicative of what the tone and temperature may be in other elections going forward,” said Olivia Turner, president of the Virginia Human Life Association, which opposes abortion rights.
About six in 10 Virginia voters in the 2024 presidential election said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to reports. AP voting castan interview survey of registered voters. More than half of Virginia voters said they oppose banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide. Slightly less than half, 45%, said they supported such restrictions.
The poll also shows that most people think abortion should be allowed in some situations but not in others, which is roughly in line with national numbers, with 62% of U.S. voters saying last November that abortion should be legal in at least “most” cases.
in their recent discussionsboth candidates touched on the nuanced opinions of voters like Hines.
Earl Sears, who once called abortion “evil” in a clip featured in a Spanberger ad, dodged the question.
“That’s not my view. It’s going to be what the majority of Virginians want,” Earl Sears said. “There will be a constitutional amendment, and it will be up to the voters to decide.”
Earl Sears argued that Spanberger supports free access to abortion.
After Earl Sears suggested that he supported letting fully-born infants die, Spanberger remained silent for several seconds.
“Abigail?” Earl Sears said Democrats ignored the attack.
Spanberger countered by pointing out that in states that introduced restrictions after the 2022 Supreme Court ruling, women who suffered from life-threatening and even fatal infections due to pregnancy complications were unable to obtain medically necessary abortions.
“The woman died,” Spanberger said. “If my opponent became governor, he would do the same thing to Virginia.”
Earl Sears retorted, “Don’t lie to me like that.”
Asked about the limits, Spanberger first chose the legal explanation of the “law standard,” which the Supreme Court overturned. She expressed support for a constitutional amendment that she says would uphold that standard. Pressed by the host, she supported current Virginia law that includes parental consent for minors seeking abortions and certain restrictions on late-trimester procedures.
Constitutional amendments are up to the members of the Diet.
Virginia Republicans say the amendment threatens current restrictions, particularly parental consent laws.
“The language is very vague,” Turner said, arguing that women, including minors, could challenge the legal restrictions as violating their state constitutional rights.
The amendment requires one more approval from lawmakers before it can be sent to voters. Abortion rights supporters hold a one-vote advantage in the House of Representatives.
Republicans are drawing attention to claims that a Fairfax County school social worker helped students access abortion care in 2021, a claim that officials say is false. their interim findings. These claims are being investigated by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration and Fairfax County Public Schools, under the direction of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Senate Health Committee.
“I think we can all agree that parents should know what their daughters are doing,” Democratic Rep. Philip Scott said at a recent Moms for Liberty town hall in Fairfax.
With Democrats lacking a majority in the state Senate this year, Virginia Republicans currently have little hope of tightening abortion regulations. However, in such a situation, Selected for Yonkin Four years ago, voters could have finally combined a governor like Earl Sears with a Republican-majority Legislature to make way for tougher regulations.
The problems caused by linking abortion to parental rights Yonkin’s victorywhich resonated with some conservative parents.
Stephanie Lundquist Arora, who spoke at City Hall, likened the county high school’s women’s history display related to abortion to a “leftist rendition of the alphabet.”
“It starts with ‘A stands for abortion’ with the image of a coat hanger,” Lundquist-Arora said. The room held its breath.
Virginia has become a “destination.”
Demand for abortions in Virginia is increasing as other Southern states impose new restrictions or de facto bans.
“We are a destination,” Turner lamented.
Autumn Celeste, a spokeswoman for Charlottesville-based Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, said the foundation helped 1,600 clients access abortion care and donated $578,000 to abortion clinics during the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Celeste said the clinic will support 2,400 callers in 2024-2025, an increase that is putting a strain on the system.
More than 17% of recent patrons were from Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
Abortion is one of many issues voters are considering, even though it could have implications in Virginia and elsewhere.
About three-quarters of Virginia voters in the 2024 presidential election said abortion policy influenced the candidate they supported in the election, and about 7 in 10 said abortion policy was an important factor in their vote. But four in 10 Virginia voters said the most important issue facing the country at the time was “the economy and jobs,” and about two in 10 said immigration. About 1 in 10 Virginia voters said abortion was the nation’s top issue, and a similar proportion said health care.
Back in St. Petersburg, Hines said she was worried about the cost of living. She said she would vote for Spanberger even though she disagrees with Democrats on some social issues.
Still, she had mixed feelings about abortion.
“I don’t think it’s my place to judge,” she said. “Only God can judge.”
___ Associated Press writer Lynley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.
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