Doesn’t winning feel good?
After the straight-up trauma of four Trump years, and eight lackluster years of down-ballot performances under Obama, the fact that we’ve found a winning issue in abortion—the most charged political-third-rail issue of most of our lifetimes—still makes our heads spin a bit.
But here we are again, the day after another election night where abortion rights propelled Democrats to victory across the country:
✴️ A solid majority of Ohioans—57 percent—voted to add an affirmative right to abortion to the state’s constitution.
✴️ Virginians rejected Gov. Youngkin’s promise of a 15-week abortion ban by keeping Democrats in control of the state Senate and delivering to them control of the state House of Delegates.
✴️ Kentuckians re-elected Gov. Andy Beshear, who vetoed a sweeping abortion ban last year, though his veto was overridden by the legislature.
✴️ Democrats also held a critical seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, flipped a state senate seat in New Jersey, and elected the first Black woman mayor in at least four cities, including Philadelphia.
There were some losses: Greta Kemp Martin will not be Mississippi’s next attorney general, and four of the nine women we supported on our final Virginia legislature slate will not be heading to Richmond. Winners included Russet Perry (Sen-31), whose victory early in the night indicated Democrats would hold the Senate, as well as Danica Roem (Sen-30), Amy Laufer (Del-55) and incumbent Kelly Fowler (Del-96). Kimberly Pope Adams’ (Del-82) race is too close to call.
And there are some unknowns: Mayoral contests we’re watching in Boise, Des Moines, Memphis and Salt Lake City will continue through early December. Spokane is too close to call, and Houston will head to a runoff. We will keep you posted.
Now, we need to keep this momentum going—and keep talking about abortion up and down the ballot—as we head into the 2024 elections.