Abortion, a lever that has become ineffective for Democrats

The Supreme Court decision reshaped by Donald Trump during his term, in June 2022, to reverse the federal right to abortion caused an explosion in the United States, where it had the support of a strong majority of Americans. The anger aroused by this decision largely explained the resistance of the Democratic Party during the subsequent midterm elections, traditionally devastating for the party that occupies the White House.

Democrats later achieved notable successes in Republican strongholds, such as Ohio and Kentucky, during referendums aimed at protecting women’s right to control their own bodies. Kamala Harris, who campaigned on this issue across the country following the release of the Supreme Court ruling, placed this fight at the center of her presidential campaign. On October 26, she was joined in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by former first lady Michelle Obama, who made a vibrant call for reproductive rights.

The results of the November 5 elections, during which ten referendums were organized on the issue of abortion, demonstrated that the issue continues to be at the center of the concerns of the majority of voters, but that it no longer serves as an effective spring. for democracy. candidates also present on the ballot. Thus, two Republican strongholds adopted measures to protect abortion and at the same time provided massive support to Donald Trump in the presidential elections: Missouri and Montana, with more than 58% of the votes. Arizona, which is still being counted, could join this list.

Three setbacks in the republican strongholds

Three states won by Kamala Harris (New York, Maryland, Colorado) and a fourth, won in the four previous presidential elections by Democrats, Nevada, won this year by Donald Trump, have also logically protected abortion.

All three setbacks occurred in Republican strongholds. First, South Dakota, won by the former businessman with 63% of the votes. Abortion advocates failed in Florida only because the percentage of voters who supported it (57%) remained below the threshold (60%) required for any constitutional amendment in a state won by a comparable margin of change (56%). Republican. It was about returning to the six-week limit in force since 1^Ahem can.

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