Democrat Marilyn Lands defeated Republican Teddy Powell in a special election Tuesday night for a state House seat in north Alabama that drew national attention.

Lands, a licensed professional counselor, flipped the seat from red to blue by besting Powell, a Madison city councilman, 62 percent to 38 percent with 100percent of the precincts in District 10 reporting, according to unofficial results posted on the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office website.

The race drew national interest against the backdrop of the controversial Alabama State Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are considered children under state law.

The seat became vacant when ex-Rep. David Cole resigned after pleading guilty to illegal voting.

Lands, who lost to Cole in 2022, made the ruling a focus of her campaign for the district covering parts of Madison County.

“We need to continue to protect at this point where we are at with the right to contraception,” she told the Huntsville Times Lede.

Of her victory Tuesday, Lands said, “Today, Alabama women and families sent a clear message that will be heard in Montgomery and across the nation. Our legislature must repeal Alabama’s no-exceptions abortion ban, fully restore access to IVF, and protect the right to contraception.”

Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the Democratic Party organization that focuses on state legislative races, called Lands’ victory a “political earthquake.”

“Tonight’s victory is a political earthquake in Alabama – the heart of Republican territory and ground zero for the most egregious attacks on our fundamental freedoms,” she said. “In the first real test of backlash from voters on attacks on reproductive care and IVF, Alabama voters showed up in force to support Democrat Marilyn Lands, who ran courageously and unabashedly as a defender of reproductive freedoms.”

Powell thanked his supporters and campaign volunteers in a statement conceding the race.

“We are proud of the campaign we ran,” he said. “We ran a tough and respectful race and that is something we are incredibly proud of. Our state has so much to offer and I believe if we can come together, we can accomplish great things.”