An Alabama Democrat who made reproductive rights the focus of her campaign in a state where the state supreme court earlier this year ruled that fetuses have personhood under law won the special election for state house seat, CNN reports.
The election was seen as a test ground for the campaigns’ messaging, with Democrat Marilyn Lands focusing on access to safe reproductive care including abortion and birth control, as well as a stance on fetal personhood that would not ban IVF treatment. Her Republican opponent in the 10th District race, middle-aged white man Madison City Councilman Teddy Powell, stressed his connections to the community and commitment to local projects. He brought a spoon to a civil rights fight.