"Abortion and Incumbent Losses Dominate Virginia's 2023 Primary Elections"

Abortion remained a key issue for Democratic voters in Virginia's primaries, with pro-choice candidates winning key races. The results suggest that abortion remains a potent issue for Democrats, even in closely divided states like Virginia. If Republicans win control of both chambers of the state legislature in the fall, they could pass a proposed abortion ban that was previously blocked by Democrats. Abortion access is likely to be a key issue in the fall elections, which are seen as bellwethers for national party strategies.