Former Kentucky Democratic state representative and gubernatorial candidate Rocky Adkins said in a 2019 radio interview that in addition to his personal beliefs, his votes represent the views of his constituents in a "very conservative district." Bruce Maloch, who no longer serves in the state legislature, is one of the Arkansas Democrats who voted in favor of the state's trigger ban. He was described as a "a deer-hunting, abortion-opposing local Baptist deacon" in a 2020 local newspaper column lamenting the Republican attack ads against him. Maloch and Adkins did not respond to CNN's requests for comment.

Also in Kentucky, former state Rep. Joe Graviss told a local newspaper in 2020 that he had tried to emphasize his "pro-life" beliefs throughout his campaign for state Senate but still lost. Graviss declined to discuss his anti-abortion votes with CNN, saying the issue is a "very personal" one for him, but also said he is frustrated with how local Democrats are painted as being the same as national Democrats, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which is not always the case. "You have people putting up big signs in their fields on major parkways saying if you vote for a Democrat you're going to hell," he said. "You have pastors telling their congregations who to vote for and putting the list tacked on church front doors with damning repercussions if they don't vote that way."

Former Kentucky Democratic state representative and gubernatorial candidate Rocky Adkins said in a 2019 radio interview that in addition to his personal beliefs, his votes represent the views of his constituents in a "very conservative district." Bruce Maloch, who no longer serves in the state legislature, is one of the Arkansas Democrats who voted in favor of the state's trigger ban. He was described as a "a deer-hunting, abortion-opposing local Baptist deacon" in a 2020 local newspaper column lamenting the Republican attack ads against him. Maloch and Adkins did not respond to CNN's requests for comment.

Also in Kentucky, former state Rep. Joe Graviss told a local newspaper in 2020 that he had tried to emphasize his "pro-life" beliefs throughout his campaign for state Senate but still lost. Graviss declined to discuss his anti-abortion votes with CNN, saying the issue is a "very personal" one for him, but also said he is frustrated with how local Democrats are painted as being the same as national Democrats, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which is not always the case. "You have people putting up big signs in their fields on major parkways saying if you vote for a Democrat you're going to hell," he said. "You have pastors telling their congregations who to vote for and putting the list tacked on church front doors with damning repercussions if they don't vote that way."