Source: WRAL
According to WRAL, people across the country were encouraged by Kansas voters’ decision to keep abortion rights in their state constitution. Kansas approved the measure to support reproductive rights by a margin of 59 to 41.
The Kansas results show that voters are energized by the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and are willing to take action to protect abortion access at the state level. North Carolina Democrats are hopeful that this trend will continue in our state.
North Carolina’s November elections do not feature a constitutional amendment like the measure in Kansas, but instead, voters will have the opportunity to elect candidates that will determine the fate of abortion rights among many other critical issues.
Political science professor David McLennan told WRAL that he sees abortion access as a clear campaign focus for this year’s elections. McLennan said that the recent results in Kansas “gives [Democrats in NC] confidence and the ability to say, hey, if Kansas can do it, we can bring voters out and try to win those races that keeps the supermajority from happening in the legislature.”
Gov. Roy Cooper has been able to veto the restrictions on abortion that North Carolina Republicans have passed, but if they win three seats in the State House and two in the State Senate, they would have a veto-proof supermajority to advance their anti-abortion agenda.
Abortion rights will be a decisive issue in North Carolina elections up and down the ballot, but the results in Kansas give progressives a glimmer of hope in the fight to protect the right to safe, legal reproductive healthcare.
