A child holds a sign at an anti-abortion rally on Capitol Square. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)
Women Speak Out Virginia is sending 100 people out to knock on 150,000 doors in Richmond and Virginia Beach between now and late July. Their aim: influence voters to elect candidates this fall who oppose a proposed constitutional amendment to enshrine reproductive rights into Virginia’s constitution.
“As the largest pro-life voter contact program in the country, we are known for our impact on elections,” SBA Pro-Life America Virginia state director Marlene Downing said in a statement. “Our doorstep conversations change the minds of persuadable voters and energize pro-life Americans to go to the polls.” (SBA Pro-Life is a partner of Women Speak Out Virginia.)
Abortion and other reproductive health measures don’t always fall along partisan lines. Red, blue and purple states have sent reproductive rights messages in recent years with red states such as Kansas rejecting an amendment to strip residents of abortion rights and Ohio enshrining abortion rights in its constitution. Virginia’s amendment to do similarly has only advanced because of Democratic majorities in the House of Delegates and state Senate.
It must pass again in the 2026 legislative session. From there, it would appear on statewide ballots for voters to finally approve or reject. But that depends on whether Democrats can retain their control in the House this year — where all 100 seats are up for election. A handful of competitive districts will be paramount to the amendment’s success or defeat — several of which SBA is focusing on this summer.
Our doorstep conversations change the minds of persuadable voters…
– Marlenę Downing, Virginia state director of SBA Pro-Life America
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia director Jamie Lockart said that opponents of the amendment “see this as their last attempt to stop this.”
That’s because amending the state’s constitution — be it adding something or taking something out — is harder to do than passing a single law. But it also means that enshrined protections are unable to be undone within a single legislative session.
In the years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a federal case that had protected access nationwide, states have sought restrictions and bans or placed protections in their constitutions. Other reproductive health choices like contraception or fertility treatments have been legislated on or challenged in courts. Amid this shifting landscape, Virginia is currently the least-restrictive southern state when it comes to abortion — and it’s seen a surge of out-of-state patients since the fall of Roe.
This year, Virginia’s reproductive rights amendment will likely feature as a prominent selling point for candidates — whether they’re vowing to defend it or defeat it.
What current law allows
Current state law allows most abortions up to around 26 weeks of pregnancy and later abortions require three physicians to attest that continuing a pregnancy would threaten the life of the parent or “irremediably impair” their physical or mental well-being.
Later abortions make up about 1% of abortions, according to data from Kaiser Family Foundation, a health data nonprofit. About 4% of abortions in Virginia occur between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy — this is usually when severe fetal anomalies are more likely to be detected. Most abortions in Virginia happen under 13 weeks.
A recent Pew Research Center poll noted support for abortion has remained fairly consistent in recent decades, with 62% of Americans surveyed agreeing that it should be legal in all or most cases.
The amendment, if approved, would largely shore up Virginia’s existing protections for abortions and would remove the three physician thresholds needed for later abortions.
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, challenged the motion on the House floor earlier this year, calling it a “word salad” designed to “cloud the true intentions.” He argued that lowering the doctor threshold to just one doctor removes safeguards.
“The abortion doctor can do that,” he said. Supporters of the amendment countered the change is intended to address barriers faced by rural patients.
He also accused Democrats of supporting infanticide with the amendment, and opponents of the state’s current abortion laws have argued the amendment would allow the procedure up to “the moment of birth.”
State and federal law prohibit infanticide and such accusations have been widely debunked by medical experts.
Still, SBA door-knockers are expected to focus on that message as they did in a press release announcing their campaign.
Director Downing asserted that Democrats are “determined to wipe away all limitations on abortion in Virginia” and said that they would repeal Virginia’s parental involvement laws.
Republicans had sought changes to the amendment that could shore up existing state law regarding parental consent for minors seeking surgeries, including abortion. Democrats rejected the efforts with House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, referencing both existing law and a judicial bypass option some minors can petition for.
“The law is the law unless the court says it’s not,” she said at the time.
Vulnerable candidates get Planned Parenthood support
While Herring’s seat is reliably Democratic leaning, Republicans and abortion opponent groups like SBA Pro-Life have their eyes on others. Between Richmond and Virginia Beach, the canvassing efforts will target potential voters with vulnerable Democratic candidates
Targeted contests include incumbent delegates Nadarius Clark, D-Suffolk, and Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, along with Democrats running in competitive districts near Richmond, Petersburg and Williamsburg.
May Nivar, is challenging Del. David Owen, R-Henrico. He secured his election by a little over 700 votes in 2023. Jessica Anderson and Kimberly Pope Adams face rematches with incumbents Del. Amanda Batten, R-James City County, and Del. Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, the latter of which won by 53 votes last time. Meanwhile, challenger, Lindsey Dougherty will challenge Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Colonial Heights as well.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia plans to support the Democratic candidates through door knocking and other campaign events throughout the rest of the year. Democrats can also expect support from ReproRising Virginia, whose executive director calls “reproductive freedom” a “winning issue.”
“Our organization will be doing everything we can to elect champions statewide, but especially to the House of Delegates,” Lockhart, of Planned Parenthood, said. “We’re confident that when voters have the ability to vote on protecting their rights, they will resoundingly do so.”
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Author: Charlotte Rene Woods
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