A month after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling thrust in vitro fertilization treatment into the national spotlight, Democrats are looking at a special state House election here on Tuesday for signs of how strong abortion rights resonate with voters in a red state with some of the most restrictive laws in the country.
Marilyn Lands, a Democrat who lost by nearly 7 points when she ran in 2022, is an eager test case: she has made reproductive rights a central issue in her campaign, particularly in her ads.
In one clip, Lands and a young woman, Alyssa Gonzales, share the stories of the abortions they received after learning their fetuses tested positive for severe genetic conditions.
About 20 years ago, under Roe v. Wade, Lands was able to be treated in-state by her doctor. But months after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, Gonzales had to seek the help of an abortion fund to travel out of state.
“As a woman, we’ve seen so much over the years. We’ve seen things change with pay becoming somewhat more equal, with the kind of harassment that we used to deal with being not so common,” Lands said. “But to see us now take a giant step backwards? I just can’t understand.”
The race will not change control of the Alabama state House: Republicans hold super majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Teddy Powell, the Republican candidate and a two-term Madison city councilmember, is betting voters will choose a candidate who has emphasized local issues like infrastructure spending over sending a message to Montgomery on abortion.
