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I support the right to abortion: 42%
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I am personally against abortion, but it should be legal: 27%
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I personally believe having an abortion is wrong and should be illegal: 26%
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Unsure: 5%
That means Republican efforts to either entirely ban abortion or effectively ban it at six weeks (before almost anyone knows they are pregnant) have the support of roughly one-quarter of the electorate.
Perhaps the only thing worse for Republicans would be a right-wing judge banning abortion nationwide via judicial fiat. Does that ring a bell?
You guessed it: The ruling by a federal judge in Texas that could potentially ban the early medication abortion pill mifepristone nationwide is a political disaster for Republicans—and not just because 73% of voters believe the abortion pill should be legal.
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Legal: 54%
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Legal, but only under certain circumstances: 19%
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Illegal: 19%
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Unsure or don’t know enough to say: 8%
The biggest problem the case poses for Republicans is the fact that it has awakened voters in states with abortion access to the threat of having a nationwide ban imposed on them. That includes voters in blue states such as New York, who previously felt they would be spared from GOP zealotry, as well as battleground states like Michigan, where voters passed a ballot measure last fall protecting abortion rights.
Asked if they were concerned that a federal law or court decision would change abortion policy in their state, a 44% plurality of respondents said yes, they were concerned abortion access could be restricted. Just 22% said they were concerned abortion access would be expanded.
In other words, no one can press snooze on this issue—even if they’re in a state that has taken steps to protect access to abortion. In all likelihood, a swath of voters in blue states who felt insulated from abortion restrictions during the midterms will be more engaged on the issue during the presidential election next year, not less.
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Yes, I’m concerned abortion access will be restricted: 44%
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Yes, I’m concerned abortion access will be expanded: 22%
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No, I am not concerned: 27%
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Unsure: 7%
That’s very good news for Democrats, who outperformed expectations last November. And it’s extremely bad news for Republicans, who now find themselves in a position where the very issue that upended their expectations last cycle will likely prove even more impactful in the next cycle.
RELATED STORY: Democrats seize on GOP anti-abortion crusade to reclaim key New York congressional seats
