STARTING 2023 STRONG: Democrats win key Virginia Senate seat in special election
Kevin Adams’ anti-abortion rights agenda was central to his loss
Republican Kevin Adams, the Glenn Youngkin-endorsed nominee in Virginia’s 7th Senate District, lost 2023’s first big special election, flipping a critical state legislature seat from red to blue and shoring up Democratic control in the chamber.
Because Youngkin previously announced that he would be pushing for an extreme abortion ban in the state — despite the fact that a majority of Virginians do not support restrictions on access to reproductive health care — abortion rights were a critical touchstone in this special election.
Our team found and pushed out research to Virginians that showed just how much Adams stands with Youngkin, and he even has his own anti-abortion rights agenda.
We found that Kevin Adams took a quarter of a million dollars from anti-abortion politicians, suggesting loyalty to them over Virginia voters.
We also discovered that Kevin Adams praised a horrific anti-abortion post from Roy Moore as “brilliantly truthful” — going out of his way to comment on anti-abortion rhetoric online.
Media outlets in Virginia and nationwide picked up on these stories, further elevating them to Virginia voters and shaping the narrative around this critical race. It was clear to Virginians and reporters alike: Adams’ attacks on abortion rights turned off voters in the 7th district — just as it has in races all across the country.
- Washington Post: Abortion at the forefront in special election for Virginia Senate seat
- VPM: Virginia Beach special election could tip balance in abortion fight
- Virginia Mercury: From start to finish, 2023 will be a big year for abortion policy in Virginia
American Bridge also highlighted other troubling issues with Adams’ record on top-of-mind issues for Virginia voters, including his anti-public education and anti-teacher statements. He was a disastrous candidate for Virginia families, kids, and teachers — period.
We found troubling ties between Kevin Adams and radical anti-democracy figures like Roger Stone. With that record, who knows if he could be trusted to carry out the will of the voters.
If this race showed us anything, it’s that Republicans continue to push this losing narrative of restricting reproductive rights — against the majority of Americans’ wishes — and it will cost them BIG.
