Today's Brew continues with the results from the June 9 elections + summarizes a Colorado abortion initiative
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Welcome to the Thursday, June 11, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

* Bourdeaux and Lopez Romero advance to  Democratic runoff, McCormick wins Republican primary in GA-07
* Coloradans to decide initiative that would prohibit abortions after 22 weeks gestational age
* Filing deadline roundup

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** BOURDEAUX AND LOPEZ ROMERO ADVANCE TO DEMOCRATIC RUNOFF, MCCORMICK WINS REPUBLICAN PRIMARY IN GA-07
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We’re continuing our coverage of June 9 election results.

GEORGIA’S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT (DEMOCRATIC ([link removed])) AND REPUBLICAN ([link removed])) PRIMARIES)

In the Democratic primary, Carolyn Bourdeaux and Brenda Lopez Romero advanced to an August 11 runoff election. As of Wednesday afternoon, Bourdeaux had received 46.0% of the vote to Romero's 14.5%, with 97% of precincts reporting. The runoff was required because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote. Georgia is one of 10 states which conduct primary runoffs.

In the Republican primary, Rich McCormick defeated six other candidates. As of Wednesday afternoon, McCormick had received 55.2% of the vote to Renee Unterman's 17.4%, with 97% of precincts reporting. 

In the 2018 election, incumbent Rob Woodall (R) defeated challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux (D) by a margin of 433 votes out of more than 280,000 cast, or by approximately 0.2 percentage points. This was the narrowest margin of any House race nationwide that year. This year, Woodall is retiring after five terms in office, leaving the seat open.

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

West Virginia State Senate President Mitch Carmichael (R) ([link removed]) lost the primary election to Amy Nichole Grady (R) 39.1% to 34.9%. Carmichael was first elected to the state Senate in 2012. 

Thirteen of 17 incumbents ran for re-election to the West Virginia State Senate. Two other incumbents also lost their primary bids: John Pitsenbarger (R) and Sue Cline (R).

Flashback: In 2012, Kansas State Senate President Stephen Morris (R) lost in the primary election to Larry Powell (R) 51.9% to 48.1%. During those primaries ([link removed]) , nine incumbents in the Kansas State Senate lost their elections.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS

Joe Biden (D) and Donald Trump (R) won their respective presidential primaries in Georgia and West Virginia. In Georgia ([link removed]) , Biden won with 83.7%, and Trump won with 100% of the vote. In West Virginia ([link removed]) , Biden received 65.1% of the vote, and Trump received 94.5%.

Learn more ([link removed])

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** COLORADANS TO DECIDE INITIATIVE THAT WOULD PROHIBIT ABORTIONS AFTER 22 WEEKS GESTATIONAL AGE
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The Colorado 22-Week Abortion Ban Initiative ([link removed])) officially qualified on June 8 for the November 3 ballot. If approved, the ballot measure would prohibit abortions after a fetus reaches 22 weeks gestational age as calculated from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP). 

124,632 valid signatures were required to qualify. Sponsors submitted 114,647 valid signatures on the March 4 deadline. They were allowed to collect additional signatures during a cure period ([link removed]) , which allows initiative campaigns in Colorado an additional 15 days to collect signatures if they fall short of the required number. The Colorado Secretary of State's office announced June 8 that the measure qualified for the ballot after finding that proponents submitted an additional 38,557 valid signatures. The group Due Date Too Late sponsored the initiative.

Under the initiative, PERFORMING A PROHIBITED ABORTION WOULD BE A MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE BY A FINE EXCEPT FOR IN CASES WHERE AN ABORTION IS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE PREGNANT WOMAN. Medical professionals who perform a prohibited abortion would have their medical licenses suspended by the Colorado Medical Board for at least three years. A woman who has a prohibited abortion could not be charged with a crime under the initiative.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Roe v. Wade, finding that state laws criminalizing abortion before fetal viability violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The high court held that states can regulate and/or prohibit abortions (except those to preserve the life or health of the mother) once a fetus reaches the point of viability.

Seven states—Alaska, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont—and Washington, D.C., do not restrict abortion after a certain point in a pregnancy. The other 43 states restrict abortion at a certain point in pregnancy based on varying criteria. 

One state bans abortion at 20 weeks from LMP, 17 states ban abortion at 22 weeks from LMP, and four states ban abortion at 24 weeks from LMP. Twenty states ban abortion at viability, which is around 24-28 weeks from LMP and varies by pregnancy. One state, Virginia, bans abortion in the third trimester, or around 25 weeks from LMP.

The map below details these restrictions.

[Map]

Measure sponsor Erin Behrens said, "We are going to put a very reasonable limit of 22 weeks, which is about five months into pregnancy. And we think that this reasonable limit will pass overwhelmingly in Colorado, and we will finally be brought into the 21st century. We will finally be among all the other states that have reasonable limits, and we will finally not be the late-term abortion capitol of the United States."

Jack Teter, Colorado's political director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said, "This measure has no exceptions for rape and incest, it has no exceptions for maternal health, and that is cruel and unconscionable and that’s an abortion ban voters aren’t going to support." 

Coloradans have voted on eight measures relating to abortion between 1984 and 2014. In 1984, Coloradans voted 50.4% to 49.6% to ban public funding of abortion except for cases where the mother's life is in danger. Colorado voters defeated citizen-initiated constitutional amendments in 2008, 2010, and 2014 that attempted to define person to include unborn human beings from the moment of fertilization. The amendments were defeated by 73%, 71%, and 65%, respectively).

Voters will decide six measures ([link removed]) in five states (Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington) regarding abortion and definitions of when life begins this year. So far, three such measures in three states have been certified for 2022 ballots.

Learn more→ ([link removed])
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** FILING DEADLINE ROUNDUP
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Connecticut and New Hampshire have their statewide filing deadlines this week—June 11 and June 12, respectively. Florida also has its state legislature filing deadline on June 12. After this week, JUST THREE STATEWIDE FILING DEADLINES REMAIN—Rhode Island (June 24), Delaware (July 14), and Louisiana (July 17).

In Connecticut, Governor Ned Lamont (D) issued an executive order ([link removed]) May 11 reducing petition signature requirements for all candidates by 30%. He also extended the filing deadline for major-party candidates from June 9 to June 11.

The offices up for election in Connecticut and New Hampshire include:

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One U.S. Senate seat

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Seven U.S. House seats

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Six state executive offices

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611 state legislative seats

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60 state Senate seats

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551 state House seats

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In Florida, 120 House seats and 20 of 40 state Senate seats are up for election

So far, 7,961 major party candidates—3,831 Democrats and 4,130 Republicans—have filed to run for state legislature in 30 states whose filing deadlines have passed. In those 30 states in 2018, that number was 8,511—4,300 Democrats and 4,211 Republicans.

Learn more→ ([link removed])
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