A new report from Lynchburg’s WSET details how Winsome Earle-Sears “couldn’t resist” voting against a bill that would guarantee Virginia women’s access to contraception. 

WSET: Virginia Senate drama: Democrats force Sears into contraception bill vote

A vote in the Virginia State Senate on Tuesday, Jan. 28, created theatrics on the Senate floor. Senators voted on a bill that would guarantee a woman's right to contraceptives, but it ended up turning into something much bigger.

Senate Democrats trapped Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears into a tie-breaking vote. Sears is really the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination in Virginia's upcoming governor's race and abortion will likely be an important issue on the campaign trail.

When Democrats saw the opportunity to get Sears' opinion on the record when it comes to contraception, they trapped her in.

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Sears voted against the bill, ultimately putting her 'no' vote on the record for women's contraception access.

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"They laid a trap and she couldn't resist. I mean, what was she gonna do? Vote for something that she's pretty clearly against," Richards asked [...]

After Sears' vote, the bill failed, but Senate rules allow for any member who votes against a bill to call for a re-vote. The democrat who initially voted 'no,' called it back, and the bill ended up passing 21 to 18.

[...] Moves like this show just how hard Democrats are willing to work to try and turn the Governor's seat blue.

“It's more of a signal than an actual gotcha moment. It's a signal that the Democrats are going to fight pretty hard in this election coming up. For Republicans and for Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, it's probably a wake up call that they're going to have to fight back pretty hard as well," Richards said.