On Tuesday, Democrats and abortion rights Advocates celebrate multiple election victories, including in conservative states like Ohio and Kentucky, indicating that reproductive rights are still a focal issue for Democrats ahead of the 2024 presidential race.
Democrats Amidst Conservative States
COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 7: Kellie Copeland, Executive Director of Pro-Choice Ohio, speaks after 2023 Ohio Issue 1 results were called, at a watch party hosted by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights on November 7, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. 2023 Ohio Issue 1, officially titled "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety," would codify reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution, including contraception, fertility treatment, and the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability while permitting restrictions after.
Democrats won in Ohio wherein Former President Donald Trump won by 8% in the 2020 presidential elections, showing voters approved of a constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights.
By passing the Issue 1 ballot measure, Ohioans will now be guaranteed the right to choose their own reproductive medical treatment, including abortion, NPC reports.
In Virginia, Democrats won control of both legislative chambers, according to the Associated Press. The outcome was a setback for Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who pushed hard for Republican candidates and attempted to unify them behind his plan to prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
In Kentucky, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear won a second four-year term, bucking the state's conservative lean of voting for Trump by more than 25% in 2020.
The results could help assuage concerns among some national Democrats who are worried about President Joe Biden's unpopularity with voters.
In a statement, Biden praised the Ohio result, stating that Americans once again voted to protect their "fundamental freedoms—and democracy won".
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Abortion's Battle Story
The Supreme Court's decision almost a year and a half ago brought Ohio to the forefront as the latest battleground for abortion.
Abortion rights advocacy groups successfully placed abortion-related referendums on the ballot in conservative states last year, leading to a series of victories for Democrats, according to Reuters.
They have doubled down on that strategy. Ohio's result will increase efforts to present similar ballot initiatives to voters in multiple states in 2024, including swing states Arizona and Florida.
Anti-abortion forces campaigned against the Ohio amendment as too extreme, while abortion rights groups warned that rejecting it would pave the way for a stringent ban to take effect.
Tuesday's vote renders moot a six-week limit the Republican-controlled legislature had previously approved. That law had been on hold pending a legal challenge. All 40 seats in the Senate and 100 seats in the House of Delegates were on the ballot in Virginia.
The aim of Democrats was to make abortion the most important issue. Youngkin proposed a 15-week limit as a moderate compromise, hoping it could serve as a blueprint for Republicans next year.
Youngkin poured millions of dollars from his political action committee into the race, and a Republican victory would likely have amplified calls from some party donors for him to step into the presidential race.
Biden added his weight to the Virginia races last week, issuing endorsements for 16 Democrats running in competitive races for the state House and seven in the Senate, while sending out a fundraising plea to supporters.
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