The Reason Republican Messaging on Abortion Falls Flat

And why there’s no fixing it

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On Tuesday, November 7th, 2023, Republicans in multiple states suffered major losses in the off-year election. The struggle over abortion rights was a major factor in these outcomes. A few highlights:

• Issue #1, adding a right to reproductive freedom was approved by Ohio voters over Republican opposition.
• In deep-red Kentucky, voters re-elected Democratic Governor Andy Bershear over a Trump-endorsed challenger. Abortion access was a main feature of the Bershear campaign.
• Virginia voters helped Democrats maintain their majority in the state senate and flip the state house of delegates despite an active campaign by Republican Governor Glenn Younkin around a “compromise” abortion bill.

Media across the political spectrum agree that voters continue to be energized by the abortion debate since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This energy fueled the strong showing by Democrats.

Right-wing media outlets, understandably upset by the outcomes, cited various reasons, with much of the commentary focusing on poor messaging. Some called for avoiding the issue altogether in favor of others where Republicans could perform…