VA-SD13: This Democratic Primary Could Decide The Fate Of Abortion Rights In Virginia
When Lashrecse Aird started knocking on doors to run for the Virginia state Senate, most voters she spoke with had no idea her opponent, incumbent Joe Morrissey, was an anti-abortion Democrat. Now, over a year later and days away from the primary election, Aird says she believes many people in Virginia’s 13th Senate District are deeply concerned about Morrissey’s views on abortion, especially in light of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s drive to restrict access in the state.
The primary election, set for June 20, will have an outsize impact on the fate of abortion rights not only in Virginia but across the Southeast. Youngkin has continued to advocate for a 15-week abortion ban, saying in the past that he will “happily and gleefully” sign any anti-choice bill that passes the legislature. Earlier this year, Virginia Democrats won a critical state Senate seat in a special election, giving Democrats the numbers to successfully defeat Youngkin’s proposed 15-week ban last session. But the Democrats’ majority in the state Senate is slim, 22-18, meaning every pro-choice vote counts ― and any anti-abortion lawmaker is a threat. Morrissey has said he would support a 15-week abortion ban (although he has since walked back those statements) and has a history of breaking with his party on abortion legislation.
That means Morrissey, a self-described “pro-life” Democrat, could make Youngkin’s promise a reality.
“In the past, he proudly boasted about his position, and now he’s running scared from it,” Aird said of Morrissey. “He has never been held accountable for his position on abortion, and he would love for nothing more than to change the subject.”
In 2020, Morrissey voted against legislation that would remove targeted restrictions on abortion providers, and last year he co-sponsored a 20-week abortion ban with state Sen. Amanda Chase (R), well known by her nickname “Trump in heels.” Earlier this year, when Morrissey would have been the deciding vote on a bid to codify reproductive rights into the state constitution, he abstained from voting and allowed the bill to fail. Virginia currently allows abortion through the second trimester and into the third if the pregnant person’s life is at risk.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/virginia-democratic-primary-abortion-morrissey-aird_n_6487aef7e4b048eb9110f52f
