Pro-life Democrats see a clear path to victory for the party in 2020 and beyond if they follow the example of Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, rather than the lawmakers pushing unlimited abortions.
Gov. Edwards has pledged to sign the state's bipartisan heartbeat bill, which will limit abortions after a baby's heartbeat can be detected—typically in the sixth week of pregnancy. "I ran for governor as a pro-life candidate … as governor I have been true to my word and my beliefs on this issue," he said in a statement after the state legislature passed the bill. He said his pro-life beliefs inform more than just his positions on abortion, pointing to his record defending increased education spending, foster care expansion, and a minimum wage hike as evidence of his strong liberal record.
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, said Edwards is exactly what the Democratic Party needs as it attempts to overcome its defeat in 2016. She credited him and state representative Katrina Jackson, a black Democrat who sponsored the bill, for bucking their partymates. The pair showed that they "are not going to bend to external pressure from the party" on the issue of abortion, even as they remain steadfast liberals on economic and social justice issues.
"You have pro-life Democrats standing firm, not letting the abortion lobby steamroll them," Day told the Washington Free Beacon. "John Bel Edwards is the future of the Democratic Party, leading the way on being pro-life for the whole life."
Edwards is facing fierce pressure from powerful abortion lobbies to reject the law. NARAL, a major player in Democratic politics, warned the governor that "the country is watching" how he handles the bill, adding that abortion "is not up for debate."
"If Governor John Bel Edwards signs this bill, he will be abandoning the women of Louisiana while the country is watching," NARAL said in a release. "Women make up the heart and soul of the Democratic Party and our message is clear: reproductive freedom is not up for debate."
Day fears that the party may follow the example of lawmakers in New York, Vermont, and Illinois who have pushed through legislation that guarantees abortion up until the moment of birth and peels back previously bipartisan compromises, such as parental notification rules and clinic safety standards, that are widely popular among both Democratic and Republican voters.
"The party of government regulation is for some reason not interested in regulation on this one issue," she said.
The party's 2020 presidential candidates have embraced a more expansive abortion position, rather than moderation. Every declared senator candidate voted against legislation that would have mandated life-saving care for babies who survive abortion. Former vice president Joe Biden recently abandoned his previous support for the Hyde Amendment, which prevents taxpayer-funded abortions. These positions could alienate not only moderate independent voters, but otherwise committed Democrats, according to Day.
"They are caving to the abortion industry time and time again," she said. "People are really frustrated by the leadership trying to kick us out of the party."
Day has seen donations and membership for Democrats for Life skyrocket since January, when New York became the first heavily Democratic state to embrace late-term abortion. Her group has chapters in 20 states and is especially focused on creating a pro-life groundswell in Iowa ahead of primary season. The group circulated a questionnaire to every declared candidate to dig deeper into pro-life issues, but has thus far been ignored.
Pro-life Democrats are finding their standard bearers at the state and local level even if they cannot find a champion on the debate stage. Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life organization, pointed to New Mexico and Rhode Island, where Democrats helped to block "extreme abortion legislation."
"It is encouraging to see Democrat legislators from diverse parts of the nation buck the extremism preferred by the party's top leaders, including 2020 hopefuls, who appear to be in a contest to prove who can be the most radically pro-abortion," the group said in an email.
SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser praised Jackson, Edwards, and "Louisianans on both sides of the aisle [who] overwhelmingly reject the extreme status quo of abortion on demand through birth."
Day said the spotlight on Louisiana, Edwards, and state Rep. Jackson will help to draw attention to a large but often ignored voice in Democratic circles.
"This is going to help people come out of the woodwork," she said.