Sen. Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, is focusing on abortion rights in his reelection race a month after voters in the state passed a measure to enshrine abortion access in the state's constitution.
Brown is hoping to hold onto a key Senate seat that he's held since 2007, despite the former bellwether state's increasing Republican lean in recent years.
Three major Republican candidates are vying for the chance to unseat Brown, including businessman Bernie Moreno, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan. In campaign texts, Brown has taken aim at all of his Republican opponents over their abortion stance.
"I have always been clear about where I stand: I support abortion access for all women. I know where my opponents stand, too: All three would overturn the will of Ohioans by voting for a national abortion ban," Brown said in a text sent to Ohio voters on Nov. 16.
A similar text went out again Saturday.
Brown's effort underscores Democratic efforts to align the party with pro-abortion rights stances, encouraged by the resonance of the issue itself beyond party lines at the polls.
Despite Ohio's Republican-leaning political landscape, Issue 1, a ballot measure establishing the right to an abortion, was passed with 57% support in the state. This result comes as a surprise since Ohio voters have consistently backed Donald Trump in the past two presidential elections, and the state has a Republican governor and a GOP-majority Legislature.
The passage of Issue 1 has become a focal point for Senator Sherrod Brown, who is looking to leverage this victory as he prepares for his upcoming re-election campaign. Brown's campaign manager, Rachel Petri, emphasized that the senator has always fought to protect women's reproductive rights and highlighted the disconnect between his opponents and the widely held belief that these decisions should be made by women and their doctors.
In response to Brown's messaging, Ben Kindel, a spokesman for Secretary of State Frank LaRose's campaign, accused the senator of resorting to scare tactics and distortions. Kindel claimed that Brown is trying to divert attention from what he views as the failures of the Biden administration. He also emphasized LaRose's commitment to fighting for the rights of the unborn and suggested that voters will express their disapproval of both Biden and Brown in the upcoming election.
On the other hand, a campaign official for Joe Moreno did not directly address the issue of abortion. Instead, they directed CBS News to an article stating that the Ohio businessman would support a 15-week national ban.
No comments were received from Dolan's campaign regarding this matter.
The Ohio Senate seat is one of three Democrats are defending that were won by Trump, and it's a critical one for Democrats to hold to help maintain their slim majority in the upper chamber in 2024. The stakes have only risen with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin's announced departure.
Senate Democrats in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which President Joe Biden won by close margins, are also expected to face tough elections.
The Ohio constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion access is set to go into effect on December 7, as Republican legislators who opposed Issue 1 prepare to fight its implementation.
Almost immediately after its passage, nearly 30 state Republicans signed a letter saying that the constitutional amendment does not repeal any existing Ohio law. The state's supreme court would have the ultimate say in litigation to do so.
A smaller group of Republican state lawmakers have floated removing judicial oversight "to prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts."
Abortion has long been a fraught political issue. But the decision by the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending decades of nationwide abortion protections, galvanized an abortion access movement by Democrats that helped limit their losses in the 2022 midterm elections.
And with 2024 fast approaching, the issue doesn't appear to be going anywhere.
Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told CBS News in a statement that the issue isn't confined to normal partisan lines.
Abortion Rights Remain a Key Issue for Voters
As we approach 2024, the importance of abortion rights in the minds of voters is expected to continue. According to McGill Johnson, voters will actively support ballot measures aimed at expanding and restoring abortion access, as well as electing candidates who will prioritize and defend reproductive rights.
