Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) called Tuesday night’s election results in his home state a “gut punch” after a majority of Ohioans supported a ballot measure to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution.
“For pro lifers, last night was a gut punch. No sugar coating it,” Vance wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “We got creamed among voters who disliked both Issue 1 and also Ohio’s current law (heartbeat bill).”
“We have to recognize how much voters mistrust us (meaning elected Republicans) on this issue,” Vance continued. “Having an unplanned pregnancy is scary. Best case, you’re looking at social scorn and thousands of dollars of unexpected medical bills. We need people to see us as the pro-life party, not just the anti-abortion party.”
57% of voters in Ohio supported making the right to an abortion protected by the State Constitution. Ohio is a state Trump carried in the 2020 presidential election by about 8 points.
Tuesday’s victory shows abortion remains a top issue for voters even in a state that has been trending red in recent years. It is a good sign for Democrats going into 2024, especially incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) who is up for re-election and have signaled that he plans to campaign on the issue.
