November 7 elections: Races to watch in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Mississippi...
Gubernatorial and state legislative elections are taking place in just twelve states but that doesn’t mean the results are unimportant.
Presidential and midterm elections dominate the November political headlines but that doesn’t mean voting stops in the off-years. Indeed, 2023 has a number of consequential votes taking place. Abortion rights are on the ballot in Ohio, governors are fighting in Kentucky and Mississippi, as well as the state legislature in Virginia.
Below are a selection of some of the big upcoming votes but not all. Follow the rest of our election coverage for the full picture.
2023 Election live updates: Follow the latest information here
Ohio amendment on abortion
On the ballot will be constitutional protection for the right to abortion. Back in August, voters in Ohio rejected a ballot measure that would have required a 60% majority to amend the state’s constitution in what was seen by many as an attempt to block further abortion protections.
🔊 Ballots in Ohio and Virginia are being watched closely for how much abortion rights are still impacting voters. @josephax explains on the Reuters World News daily podcast how the polls are also key tests ahead of the presidential election https://t.co/lMrOFE0r4b pic.twitter.com/8vSVkSCAYf
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 7, 2023
If the vote, named Issue 1, passes, then the state’s six-week abortion ban would not be able to take effect.
Kentucky governor
Incumbent governor Andy Beshear is seeking a second term, a difficult proposition for the Democrat in a very Republican state. He has vetoed abortion bans while in office, a position that seems key for determining voter support in plenty of states this year as well as in the presidential elections next year.
He is up against Daniel Cameron, the state’s attorney general. He will be hoping to overturn the Democrat control; Beshear won the last election by just half a percentage point.
Mississippi governor
In the opposite to Kentucky, Mississippi is governed by Republican Tate Reeves in a traditionally Democrat voting state. Elvis Presley’s cousin, Brandon Presley, is the Democrat challenger.
Mississippi's GOP Gov. Tate Reeves is now leading Democrat Brandon Presley by just 1 point, 46%-45%.
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) November 1, 2023
The election is in six days. November 7th.
One of Presley's promises is expanding Medicaid, which would give health care to hundreds of thousands. Reeves refuses to do the same.
The state’s legislature is also being voted upon.
Virginia state legislature
In the November 2019 elections, the Democratic Party gained control of both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate, which had previously been under Republican control. This marked the first time in over two decades that Democrats had a majority in both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.
Progress in Virginia is at stake in this election—and there's no time to waste. Every single seat in the Virginia General Assembly will be on the ballot tomorrow, November 7th, so make a plan to vote and find your polling place at https://t.co/vsawTNmQkZ. pic.twitter.com/Dqhh1FmH6o
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 6, 2023
The following elections in 2021 saw the party lose control of the House of Delegates, something they will be looking to right tonight.