Democrats' message on Dobbs: Don't forget
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Abortion rights advocates participate in a protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Democratic candidates — from President Biden on down — sought to use the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade's downfall to make sure that voters who aided their success in the 2022 midterms turn out again this November.
Why it matters: Reproductive rights are one of the top issues that Democrats hope will motivate voters to show up at the polls on Nov. 5 — and help them overcome concerns about inflation, border security and Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The big picture: The anniversary comes at a pivotal moment in the 2024 campaign cycle: just three days ahead of the first (and maybe only) presidential debate between Biden and former President Donald Trump.
- Within the next three weeks, Trump also is set to be sentenced in his New York hush money conviction, select his running mate and travel to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention.
- Biden, who spent Monday huddled with aides at Camp David preparing for Thursday's debate, released a campaign video taking aim at Trump on abortion rights.
- Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, said during an event in Maryland that Trump was to "blame" for the Dobbs ruling as he appointed the justices whose support tipped the scales.
Zoom in: With the Senate on a two-week recess, Democratic senators in some of this year's most competitive races — Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Bob Casey (Pa.) — all appeared at events in their home states promoting abortion rights.
- Harris made her remarks alongside Angela Alsobrooks, who is battling former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan to keep a Maryland Senate seat in Democrats' column. Alsobrooks has made abortion rights a top issue in her campaign.
- House Democrats' campaign arm, meanwhile, sent mobile billboards around five swing districts calling out incumbent Republicans who praised the end of Roe v. Wade two years ago.
- Republicans have struggled to find a post-Roe message on reproductive rights, mostly sticking to describing it as an issue that should be decided at the state level.
The other side: Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Axios, "Some states will be more conservative and some will be more liberal — but as President Trump has consistently stated — he supports the rights of individuals to determine their laws."
- Trump and other Republicans spent the weekend at an event held by the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition, where Trump took credit for Roe's downfall.
- Republicans have also accused Democrats of misrepresenting their position on the matter and note they support access to contraception and other reproductive care.
- "Every single Republican Senate candidate in the country opposes a total federal ban on abortion and supports exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Mike Berg told Axios.
Between the lines: Ballot initiatives to protect reproductive rights are expected to be in front of voters in several key states, including Nevada, Arizona and Montana.
- Democrats hope that those ballot measures will boost Biden and Senate candidates alike.
The bottom line: Abortion regularly trails the economy and immigration — two issues in which voters consistently rate Trump above Biden — in polls of Americans' top priorities ahead of November.
