House Republicans nationwide are struggling to figure out how to move forward on abortion in the wake of Democrat wins in recent elections, many of which centered around the issue, The Hill has reported.
Democrats scored major victories in Kentucky, where Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection; in Virginia, where Democrats took control of both chambers of the Virginia legislature; and in Ohio, where voters passed a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights.
“The American people are telling us very clearly, they don’t want Washington, D.C., meddling in their abortion rights. That’s clear. And we’re trying to make sure we can deliver on that,” Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., whose district was won by President Joe Biden in 2020, said in a statement.
When asked if the results of last week’s election make him worried for 2024, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., replied, “very much so,” according to the Hill.
Meanwhile, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., pushed back on the election coverage, saying, “I don’t think it’s as stark as what is being made.” Nevertheless, he noted that, “when you’re pro-life, if you make that your No. 1 issue all the time in a purple district, it don’t work.”
He added, “You gotta be growing the economy, security, and by the way pro-life.”
A longtime Republican strategist, who was not named by the Hill, said that avoiding the issue of abortion “is the worst possible thing you could do” during an election year.
“If you bury your head in the sand, we know what Democrats are going to say,” the strategist said, warning that Democrats may “misrepresent” a GOP candidate’s position on abortion.
“Republicans are going to have to get comfortable talking about this, are going to have to get comfortable putting money behind the message. But ignoring it means Democrats will define your position for you, and that is not how we’re going to win in tough seats,” the GOP strategist added.