Matthew Wilson of the Washington Examiner reports on tight 2022 election races in which the Dobbs abortion decision could play a role.
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and return decisions over abortion access to the states has upended the political map, diverting, if only temporarily, the electorate’s attention away from economic problems such as inflation, gas prices, and the cost of living.
But as Democrats stare down a precarious political environment in this November’s midterm elections, party leaders are attempting to reset the narrative by keeping the public’s attention fixed on abortion. And with Republicans opposed to abortion not backing down, many Democratic candidates locked in tight races are following their party’s lead.
It remains to be seen whether, as Democrats hope, the midterm elections will be transformed into a referendum on abortion and away from President Joe Biden’s job performance. Abortion has already become a defining issue in the Florida Senate race between GOP Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Rep. Val Demings. …
… {Michigan Gov. Gretchen] Whitmer’s reelection prospects have improved amid a series of ballot access problems and legal troubles plaguing her Republican rivals, but don’t expect her to tamp down her heated abortion rhetoric anytime soon. Along with her Democratic allies in state government, Whitmer sees the return of Michigan’s 1930s-era abortion ban in the wake of Roe’s reversal as an opportunity to bolster her left-wing bona fides and reanimate voter enthusiasm. …
… There’s little doubt among observers that incumbent [Wisconsin] Democratic Gov. Tony Everys is one of the most endangered governors in the country. Unlike gubernatorial races in Michigan and Pennsylvania, his Republican rivals carry far less political baggage. …
… But in putting state Republicans on the record as opposed to relaxing strict restrictions on abortion, Evers is following the lead of national Democrats and seeking to reset a high-profile race in a state that has until now looked relatively promising for Republicans.
