Virginia Spotlight
The abortion landscape & key players
June 29th, 2023
Today, we spotlight the status of abortion in Virginia, the key players in the state’s pro-choice and anti-abortion movements, and a major victory in last week’s primary election.
Since joining Virginia’s House of Delegates in 2015, hardliner Nick Freitas has led efforts to restrict access to abortion, voting to prohibit state funding for abortion and introducing legislation to ban abortions after 20 weeks and require written consent from abortion seekers.
Just this year, Freitas sponsored several anti-choice bills to:
Require children to watch a fetal ultrasound as part of ‘family life’ education in public schools.
Force providers to document proof that patients are not seeking an abortion on the basis of a disability, the sex, or the ethnicity of the fetus.
Politically interfere with end-of-life care decisions for families with non-viable pregnancies.
In order to protect abortion healthcare in Virginia, it is essential to oust elected officials like Nick Freitas and replace them with fiercely pro-choice candidates.
The grassroots organization REPRO Rising Virginia is on the ground in the commonwealth working to protect and expand abortion rights and access to the full range of reproductive healthcare services through advocacy, education efforts, political engagement, and policy work. REPRO Rising strives to identify and endorse “Reproductive Freedom” candidates and support the passage of laws that ensure reliable abortion protections for all Virginians.
Pro-choice activists and organizations, including REPRO Rising Virginia, recently endorsed and supported pro-choice candidate for Virginia State Senate, Lashrecse Aird, in her primary fight against anti-choice incumbent, Sen. Joe Morrissey. Aird made abortion the focal point of her campaign, highlighting Morrisey’s extreme anti-choice position, by touting the campaign slogan “ROE NOT JOE.”
Last Tuesday, Virginians overwhelmingly voted for “ROE NOT JOE” by electing Lashrecse Aird with 70% of the vote and ousting Morrissey. It is clear that now more than ever, when reproductive rights are on the ballot, voters will elect the candidates committed to protecting abortion access.
Project 50 aims to not only learn from organizations like REPRO Rising Virginia to replicate the strategies and successes realized in Tuesday’s Virginia election, but also to collaborate with them to ensure candidates like Aird follow through on their pro-choice campaign promises.
Learn more about how you can support Project 50’s work and help ensure a pro-choice future by clicking HERE!
Always in choice,
Bryan Howard
Paid for by Project 50 (project50.net) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.