Dem
51
GOP
49
With the two presidential races decided, there isn't a lot of electoral excitement in the next couple of months. That doesn't mean there is NO excitement, however, and today there is a special election that is worth watching. It's for the Alabama House seat in State District 10.
The seat came open because the previous occupant, David Cole (R), resigned after being convicted of voter fraud. In Alabama, you have to reside in the district you represent and Cole didn't. So, in order to run, he rented a closet in someone else's house in HD-10 and claimed that as his residence. That might work if the closet was under the stairs, and Cole was a wizard with a lightning-bolt-shaped scar. But, absent those things, Cole was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 3 years' probation and a $50,000 fine.
The reason that Cole was eager to run in HD-10 is that it had no incumbent and it's swingy. Donald Trump won it by a couple of points in 2020, but Democrat Doug Jones won it by 5 points back in 2018 during his U.S. Senate race. So, it can go either way. Cole was elected by 7 points in 2022; his Democratic opponent was Marilyn Lands, who ran on health care and the economy.
What makes today's election interesting is that Lands is back for another go-round. This time around, she based her entire campaign on reproductive rights and, more specifically, IVF access. Her Republican opponent, Teddy Powell, has tried to avoid taking a stand on IVF. So, if Lands improves substantially on her 2022 performance and, in particular, if she wins, it will be further proof-of-concept that reproductive rights are a winner for Democrats, even in red states. (Z)