Virginia Democrats on Tuesday increased their majority in the House of Delegates from 51 to at least 64. What began as a slim advantage has turned into a comfortable majority. This coincided with other victories for Democrats across the state, including those of future governor Abigail Spanberger and attorney general Jay Jones. These victories serve as a possible foreshadowing of the 2026 midterm elections. They also mean Virginia is close to becoming one of the most hostile states for unborn children.
In February, the General Assembly passed a resolution allowing for an amendment to the Virginia Constitution. This amendment, known as HJ1, concerns so-called reproductive rights in the state. Disturbingly, the amendment “provides that every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom.”
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The text quite clearly allows for abortion at any time, for any reason, including up to the point of birth. It deems the killing of the unborn “reproductive freedom.” Unsurprisingly, the ACLU praised the February vote. At that time, the next step in the amendment process was securing November 2025 election victories that would keep Democrats in power in the House of Delegates. That was achieved this week.
Those Democratic Party wins ensure the resolution will pass the General Assembly again in the next legislative session. Once that is complete, the amendment goes before voters on Election Day in November 2026. And then it’s only a voter majority away from becoming enshrined in the state constitution.
These electoral victories go far beyond just statewide repercussions. After the Supreme Court handed down the 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the abortion law landscape around the country changed almost overnight. Some states expanded access to abortion while others made it illegal in all but a very few circumstances.
Virginia is now surrounded by states that either enforced trigger bans on abortion or have specific limits, such as a six-week ban. If voters decide to approve the HJ1 amendment one year from now, Virginia will become a regional destination state for women seeking abortions. West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina are all more pro-life than Virginia. Maryland is the only state close by with more permissive abortion laws than Virginia. It’s bad news for both the unborn and their mothers, as abortion is not only obviously destructive to the child in the womb but to women as well.
Toward the end of October, an Associated Press article made clear just how crucial the elections in Virginia would be, stating, “advocates across the abortion rights spectrum are watching Virginia for clues about how the issue might resonate in 2026 midterm campaigns.” Now that the election results are in, the message has been received. It’s an uphill battle for those who value life both inside and outside the womb. A large part of the push to seat Democrats, from Spanberger to members of the House, centered on the abortion issue.
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Elections have consequences. It matters who secures victory in statewide races. It matters who sits in our legislatures. These politicians have the power to enact sweeping change. They have opportunities, as we see in Virginia, to hand an issue to voters that will significantly affect the present and future health of a state and its people.
This does not mean Dobbs was a bad calculation. It corrected moral and legal wrongs, but the reality of the ruling requires that Republican voters be vigilant when it comes to the atmosphere that landmark decision created. The United States is not a pro-life nation because of Dobbs. Creating a culture of life is a goal, but it is never a final destination.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributor to the Magnolia Tribune.