RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democratic candidates have decried North Carolina’s newly reinstated abortion restrictions after a federal judge allowed a state law banning nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy to go into effect. In Holly Springs, another suburb of Raleigh, Democratic state Sen. Sydney Batch is working to defend her seat in what is shaping up to be one of state’s tightest races — one where abortion could tip the scale. North Carolina is one of the few states where Democrats have a strong shot at flipping a seat in the 50-50 chamber, making Beasley’s campaign a vital component of the party’s plan to codify abortion rights into federal law.