The Republican Party’s struggles navigating reproductive issues in a post-Roe world were unmistakable during Tuesday night’s debate. Former President Donald Trump fumbled his way through questions on abortion, saying that he’s “not in favor of an abortion ban” and that he’s “been a leader on fertilization,” while attempting to distance himself from his vice presidential nominee’s openness to a federal ban.
Now, some Republican candidates in competitive House races are attempting to blunt Democrats’ attacks by releasing their own ads addressing reproductive issues. Whether or not that will be effective remains to be seen, particularly since many candidates have records that contradict their stated positions. But it’s a clear shift from last cycle, when Republican candidates largely avoided the issue — and many paid the price.
In 2022, the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade nearly cost Republicans their narrow majority in the House. And for Democrats, just four seats away from a House majority, it’s still the most potent line of attack against Republicans.
A late August poll conducted by Siena College showed that 14% of voters in
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