Democrats sense an opportunity to turn the tables on nearly two decades of Republican rule. The party flipped about a dozen seats in the Georgia Legislature in November, mostly in Atlanta's northern suburbs, leaving the GOP with a 105-75 advantage in the chamber.

(The Senate, where Republicans enjoy a 35-21 edge, is in firmer GOP control.)

Democrats are now circling 15 House seats where Republicans won by less than 55 percent that includes the Acworth-based district of state Rep. Ed Setzler, the GOP sponsor of the new abortion restrictions, which outlaw the procedure as early as six weeks.

The group is one of several efforts from abortion rights supporters to make Republicans pay for narrowly approving House Bill 481, which will face a certain legal challenge that's likely to trigger a years-long court battle before it can take effect in January.

Shortly after the measure passed, the Democratic Party of Georgia launched an initiative to target nearly 30 incumbent Republicans across the state. The list includes many supporters of the legislation but also several lawmakers who opposed it.

And left-leaning groups, such as the Georgia Win List, have helped unveil the candidacies of more than a dozen women challenging Republicans who voted for the measure.

Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republicans who won their races in November by appealing to the conservative base cast themselves as promise-keepers. And anti-abortion groups have launched initiatives of their own to help vulnerable Republicans fortify their seats.