Democrats say the latest fallout of the June U.S. Supreme Court decision eliminating federal abortion protections — might be the catalyst their party needed to reinvigorate its political prospects in what was shaping up to be a losing year.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Democratic candidates have decried North Carolina's newly reinstated abortion restrictions after a federal judge allowed a state law banning nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy to go into effect. A federal judge allowed a state law banning all abortions after 20 weeks to go into effect
But some North Carolina Democrats say the ruling earlier this month — the latest fallout of the June U.S. Supreme Court decision eliminating federal abortion protections — might be the catalyst their party needed to reinvigorate its political prospects in what was shaping up to be a losing year. Democrats have dreamed for years of replicating their 2008 success when the state went blue for president, governor and U.S. Senate. Although the current governor is a Democrat, Republicans have dominated both chambers of the legislature since 2011, allowing them to advance a conservative agenda that includes abortion restrictions. That dominance held even in 2020 despite a massive effort by Democrats to wrest control of the General Assembly.
"If they are successful in their efforts, they will not stop here," said Democratic state Rep. Julie von Haefen of Apex, a fast-growing Raleigh suburb, who unseated her Republican opponent in a close race in 2018. "Voters across the state must know that the true goal of politicians behind this ban on abortion later in pregnancy is to ban abortion entirely."
About 30,000 North Carolina residents have registered to vote since the Supreme Court abortion ruling, with women slightly outnumbering men, according to state Board of Elections data. Democratic strategists expect suburban, college educated women will be a key demographic in deciding the makeup of North Carolina's legislature in November and that abortion will be an important issue for them.