September 27 (CNNBreakingNews.net) — Maine State Representative Reagan LaRochelle didn’t spend much time discussing Abortion involving voters when she ran for office last year. But she said the conversation changed after the US Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to abortion.
In November’s midterm elections, legislative races were held in half a dozen states — including Maine, North Carolina, and Wisconsin — could determine whether millions of Americans see access to abortion expanded or restricted.
“People have never had to worry about what their local legislators think about abortion,” LaRochelle said along the way, to knock on doors for their re-election campaign. “For many people, it is worrying. It’s scary.”
The court’s June ruling has focused more on downward races, which generally receive little national attention. Republicans have held the majority of seats in the House of State across the country since 2012.
Both the Republican State Legislative Committee (RSLC) and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) are the legislative candidates , recorded a record pace of fundraising in the first half of the year. A democratic-leaning group, the States Project, said it would spend a massive $60 million on state legislative races in this cycle.
Polls have consistently found that the economy remains voters’ top concern, but abortion has increased since June. A cnnbreakingnews.net/IPSOS poll last week found that 15% of Democrats regard the end of national abortion rights as the country’s biggest problem, compared with 20% who cited the economy as their main concern.
Democrats point to a series of special elections in which they exceeded expectations, as proof that abortion has the political Competition conditions changed, including a race in the New York Congress last month. read more
“Dobbs’ decision has fundamentally changed the legislative candidates of Democratic states across the country,” said Jessica Post, President of the DLCC, referring to the Supreme Court case. “The fight for abortion rights is being resolved in state legislators.”
SORGE DER WÄHLER?
Republicans say that economic concerns, particularly inflation, are ultimately the outcome of the election.
“It’s no surprise that Democrats in the state would rather talk about something else than their failed policies. Voters’ biggest concern in all battlefield states is aggravated — the rising cost of living,” said Andrew Romeo, spokesman for the RSLC.
Democratic candidates have tried to ensure that voters understand the link between legislative races and access to abortion after Decades of federal protection.
In Minnesota, where Republicans control the Senate and Democrats control the House of Representatives, both chambers are considered potential considered competitive.
While abortion has remained legal there following a decision by the state Supreme Court, Democrats warn that Republicans could ultimately change the landscape by either presenting voters with a constitutional amendment or raising more conservative judges.
Kelly Morrison, representative from Minnesota, an obstetrician/gynecologist who opted for a competitive Senate seat, named Iowa as example. The state Supreme Court ruled this year that the state constitution does not protect abortion rights and overturned its own ruling from four years earlier after several new commissioners joined the court.
“Minnesotans are fairly informed voters,” Morrison said. “They know that all the states around us have either banned them (abortion) or severely restricted them.”
Her Republican opponent Kathleen Fowkes said Democrats would “set the gas on” voters by suggesting abortion could be endangered in order to distract attention from more important issues such as increasing crime and burdensome taxes.
“Whether Kelly gets elected or I get elected, abortion won’t change in Minnesota,” said Fowkes.
„EINE WAHL ENTFERNT“
In both North Carolina and Wisconsin, Republicans are only a few seats away from legislative overmajorities could vetoes override democratic governors. While abortion remains legal in North Carolina until 20 weeks of pregnancy, abortions were stopped in Wisconsin under a 19th-century ban.
Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, recently headlined an ad for a Senate nominee; told voters about a Proposed abortion ban: “I’m vetoing — but I need enough senators to maintain it.”
In Arizona, where a state judge ruled on Friday that a 1901 abortion ban can be enforced, Democrats have vowed to to protect abortion rights if they win the governor and wipe out the narrow majority of Republicans in the legislative session.
Michigan voters will decide whether to guarantee abortion rights in a November campaign The Democrats have Still standing up for this issue, arguing that a Republican majority will find ways to restrict abortion even if the referendum passes — and that a Democratic majority will be critical if the referendum fails.
In Maine, where abortion remains legal, Republicans have a chance to win over both chambers and the governor; possibly the way pave the way for new abortion limits.
Stacy Brenner, a state senator running for re-election, has spoken publicly about her experiences with abortion. As a nurse midwife before becoming a farmer, she provided abortion care, and she had two abortions of her own as a young woman when her contraception failed.
It has removed a list of steps taken by the Democratic majority to expand abortion rights. “We’re one election away from that not being the case,” she said.