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Abortion issues gaining increasing importance

Posted at 8:41 PM, Oct 10, 2012
and last updated 2012-10-10 21:40:41-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Less than 30 days away from the election, abortion issues are increasingly gaining importance in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Both pro-life and pro-choice groups are out with advertisements and literature.

Partial-birth abortion survivor Mellisa Ohden is one of the women at the forefront of the debate.

Ohden, an abortion survivor, is teaming up with the Susan B. Anthony group to share her story, attacking President Obama's position on abortion in the process.

"It's by the grace of God I'm alive today," Ohden said at a press conference at the General Assembly Building Wednesday.

Ohden, an Iowa native, does not know how she survived after being aborted by her biological mother, but is grateful to share her story in this election.

Ohden says the election will be more than just the economy to many people. 

"With less than four weeks and the election winding down, I think it is turning out to be a very important issue," Ohden said.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia agree.

"We sorta woke up the sleeping giant," Cianti Stewart-Reid said.

Reid says Planned Parenthood has launched intense voter registration drives in addition to mailing literature to counter commercials like Ohdens.

"We have been working in the legislative session and in the election cycle to make sure women are well informed about what is happening in this state," Reid said.