Democrats Press Message of Abortion Access in Tight Gubernatorial Races
CINCINNATI—The possible overturn of Roe v. Wade later this month is pushing abortion to the fore in governors’ races across the Midwest, where election outcomes could determine whether and to what degree abortion remains legal in those states if that case is struck down.
The drive is coming largely from Democrats in states like Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, and in the mid-Atlantic state of Pennsylvania. They are pitching themselves as a last line of defense against Republican state lawmakers if Roe v. Wade is overturned and issues surrounding abortion rights and restrictions are effectively kicked to the states to resolve. Democratic candidates view abortion rights as a potential galvanizing issue at a moment when other forces are producing headwinds.
Republican candidates throughout the region have said they welcome the chance to restrict abortion if the high court overturns Roe v. Wade, which has appeared possible since a draft opinion of such a decision was leaked in May. Republicans in states including Ohio have been preparing new measures to restrict abortion in anticipation of a high-court ruling.
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Republicans in races across the country largely have strong support heading into election season, and they stand to benefit from voter frustration over inflation and high gas prices, according to recent polling. At the same time, polls have shown that many Midwest voters support abortion rights. A 2020 poll by Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, found that more than half of some 4,000 likely voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin believed that abortion should be always or mostly legal, compared with about 36% in each state who said it should be always or mostly illegal.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-press-message-of-abortion-access-in-tight-gubernatorial-races-11654956000 (subscription)
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