Reversing abortion ban tall task for West Virginia Democrats

By JOHN RABY
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Democratic leaders urged voters to take out their anger at the polls after the Republican supermajority Legislature approved an abortion ban. But with far fewer Democrats than Republicans in legislative races, the likelihood of winning enough seats to reverse the ban is small in next month’s election. Even where Democrats are running, registered Republicans outnumber them in 35 of the state’s 55 counties. One-fourth of the legislative races on the November ballot have no Democratic candidates. That’s higher than the 15% of ballot spots that Democrats did not fill in the 2020 general election.