Republican women increasingly support abortion

Republican women increasingly support abortion access, speak out ahead of election

What you probably already know: A growing group of Republicans, particularly women, are speaking out in support of abortion access across the U.S. The Wall Street Journal this week profiled three of them, including Carol Whitmore, an elected official and former mayor of conservative enclave Holmes Beach, Florida, who is not only speaking out in favor of abortion access, she’s telling the story of her own abortion. She’s helping lead a group called Conservative Women for Freedom, which opposes Florida’s six-week abortion ban.

Why? This is the first time in 40 years that the Republican Party’s official platform doesn’t call for a federal abortion ban, and Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has stepped back from previous statements that he supports a ban. Polls show the majority of registered Republicans opposed a federal law guaranteeing a right to an abortion, though many do support laws that provide access in situations where the mother’s life is in danger. For Republicans, this is also an issue of states’ rights, where many argue these decisions should be left up to the states.

What it means: When you separate out women of reproductive age, however, a majority do support a law protecting abortion access nationwide. This is part of the reason Republicans are pulling back what has been a decades-long fight to fully ban abortion. Another reason: A Wall Street Journal poll found that abortion was the No. 1 issue by far for suburban women voters in swing states. And lastly, one further reason is that the issue has become a rallying cry for Democrats and is prompting record turnout and defeating abortion bans even in deeply red states. Putting the issue on the ballot can have a significant impact on down-ballot races.

What happens now? The money is following. Planned Parenthood announced earlier this year plans to spend $40 million on Democrats who support abortion rights, and abortion rights PACs gave $1.4 million to Democrats in the last election — none to Republicans. This year, spending is set to outpace previous years as Democrats try to rally those same suburban women who list abortion rights as their No. 1 issue to go blue in the election.

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