The Republican governor candidates walking back some of their abortion stances
The candidates' retreat suggests that, even as reproductive rights fade from the national spotlight and polls show voters are far more likely to prioritize cost-of-living concerns, the political ramifications of pushing for new abortion restrictions remain substantial.
Republican governors eyeing election have distanced themselves from strict abortion stances they once supported. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin, deems the state's 20-week abortion limit as "settled law," despite previously advocating for a tighter ban. Stacy Garrity, the GOP's candidate in Pennsylvania, has declared her adherence to the current 24-week limit.
Ty Masterson, a Republican seeking the Kansas governorship, has demurred when asked if he would support a statewide referendum to eliminate the state's abortion protections, even though Kansas allows abortion until 22 weeks. These candidates' retreat suggests that even as reproductive rights fade from the national spotlight and voters prioritize economic concerns, pushing for new abortion restrictions remains politically risky.
Ashley Kirzinger, a pollster at KFF, speculates that these campaigns may be strategically shifting attention away from abortion to demotivate Democratic turnout in close races. Recent polls indicate that about 60% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases, but the political momentum for new abortion restrictions remains weak.
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