{"id":2002092,"date":"2023-08-16T04:24:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T08:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-see-abortion-as-wedge-issue-for-sherrod-brown-in-ohio-senate-race\/"},"modified":"2023-08-16T04:25:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T08:25:48","slug":"democrats-see-abortion-as-wedge-issue-for-sherrod-brown-in-ohio-senate-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-see-abortion-as-wedge-issue-for-sherrod-brown-in-ohio-senate-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Abortion becomes divisive topic for Sherrod Brown in Ohio Senate race, say Democrats."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-see-abortion-as-wedge-issue-for-sherrod-brown-in-ohio-senate-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2002092&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Inroads in Republican Strongholds: \u2062Abortion Politics\u200d and Sherrod Brown&#8217;s Opportunity<\/h2>\n<p>In\u200d his 16 years representing Ohio \u2062in the Senate, Sherrod Brown \u200dhas seen abortion as a key issue that energizes Democrats in \u2062urban centers like Cleveland.\u200c However,\u200c the\u200b recent overturning of Roe\u2063 v. Wade by the Supreme Court has opened up a new opportunity\u2064 for Brown, who is now running for his fourth term, to make inroads in traditionally \u2064Republican \u200cstrongholds.<\/p>\n<p>Many political \u2062observers questioned whether abortion still held \u200bsalience one year after the high court\u2062 returned the\u2062 issue \u200bto the\u2064 states. Ohio voters emphatically answered\u200c that question \u2062last week by defeating a ballot measure that would have \u200bmade it more difficult to protect \u2063abortion access in the state constitution. The issue drove high turnout \u200cin\u200c deep-blue counties like Cuyahoga and Franklin, but\u2063 it was the rejection of the measure by red counties that suggested Brown could use abortion as\u2064 a wedge issue.<\/p>\n<p>Brown has performed well in many of these strongholds, appealing\u200b to blue-collar workers \u2064with his populist message. In 2018, he even \u200dwon over counties like Trumbull and \u200bMahoning that had voted for \u200cformer President Donald Trump in 2016. However, maintaining these margins will be crucial in what may be Brown&#8217;s toughest reelection bid yet. Democrats believe that running on\u200d abortion access could be a winning\u2062 strategy for \u2062him.<\/p>\n<h3>Appealing\u200d Beyond the Base<\/h3>\n<p>Democratic strategist Jeff Rusnak believes that the issue of abortion appeals to a much broader audience than just the party&#8217;s base. He points \u2064out that a solid majority of Ohio\u200d voters, including a significant portion of Republicans and independents, support \u2062abortion access. This support could give Brown an advantage in his reelection campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Last week&#8217;s election in Ohio was not directly about abortion, but the Ohio \u2063GOP strategically placed the measure on the ballot ahead of a fall election on abortion rights. \u2062Democrats ran ad campaigns across the state,\u200c targeting not only their base but also independents and soft Republicans. They argued\u2064 that the GOP measure \u2062was an undemocratic &#8220;power grab.&#8221; While some Republican voters were swayed by the abortion rhetoric, others were\u200d put off by what they saw as an unfair process.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this,\u200b polling indicates that Republican voters are divided on women&#8217;s \u2063access to abortion, with \u200c45% believing it should be legal. The upcoming November election will provide a \u200cclearer test of the\u2063 degree of support for abortion rights.<\/p>\n<h3>Brown&#8217;s Unabashed Support\u2062 for Abortion Rights<\/h3>\n<p>Sherrod Brown is an unabashed supporter of abortion rights and has the endorsement of\u200c groups like Planned \u200cParenthood. He celebrated the Democratic win in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-highlights-bidens-failures-eyes-gop-victory\/\" title=\"McConnell highlights Biden\u2019s failures, eyes GOP victory\">recent special election<\/a>, calling it a &#8220;big victory for Ohio.&#8221; Brown \u2063plans to continue campaigning for abortion rights in the \u200bfall.<\/p>\n<p>This approach aligns with Brown&#8217;s overall strategy for his reelection bid. He recognizes that motivating the base is crucial for both parties, and the specter of \u200ba <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-claims-a-national-abortion-ban-is-possible-if-roe-v-wade-is-overturned\/\" title=\"McConnell Claims A National Abortion Ban Is \u2018Possible\u2019 If Roe V. Wade Is Overturned\">national abortion ban<\/a> is\u2062 a powerful tool for Democratic fundraising. Brown wasted no time in\u2063 sending out fundraising emails and making \u2064appearances on\u200c left-leaning \u200bMSNBC after the measure failed.<\/p>\n<p>However, Brown also understands the importance of connecting with Republicans in \u200d2024. In media appearances, he consistently emphasizes his efforts in fighting\u200c for workers and the dignity of work. He speaks about veterans&#8217; healthcare and holding Wall Street executives accountable, \u200cin addition to discussing abortion. This strategy has served him well in a state that\u2062 has trended red over the years.<\/p>\n<h3>Republican Opposition and the \u2062Path to Senate Majority<\/h3>\n<p>Republicans \u2062in \u200cOhio reject the \u200cidea that abortion will boost Brown&#8217;s reelection prospects. They point to GOP Senator J.D. Vance&#8217;s victory last year as evidence. While abortion featured prominently in \u200bthe debates between Vance and Democrat\u200d Tim\u200d Ryan, it did not have the same impact\u2063 as in swing districts during the midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>With\u200d control of the Senate at stake, GOP strategists believe that other issues, such as the \u2062economy, will take precedence over abortion in the minds of voters. Mark Weaver, a Republican strategist in Ohio, argues\u200b that very few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-see-abortion-as-wedge-issue-for-sherrod-brown-in-ohio-senate-race\/\" title=\"Abortion becomes divisive topic for Sherrod Brown in Ohio Senate race, say Democrats.\">general election voters prioritize\u2063 abortion<\/a> as their top concern. The electorate \u2064is divided between pro-life and pro-choice voters, \u200cwith the pro-abortion segment being relatively\u200d small.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, national Republicans see Ohio as a crucial state \u200cin \u200dtheir path to a Senate majority. They plan to invest heavily in unseating Brown, who won his 2018 race by\u200d 6 points. The\u2063 National Republican \u2063Senatorial Committee has identified three candidates who they believe could win the general election.<\/p>\n<p>The race between Sherrod Brown and his Republican \u2062challengers is considered\u200d a &#8220;tossup&#8221; by the Cook Political Report. As the campaign unfolds, it remains to be seen\u2064 how the issue of abortion will impact the outcome.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">Click here<\/a> to read more from The Washington Examiner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In his 16-year Senate tenure, Sherrod Brown has seen abortion energize urban Democrats in Cleveland. Now, as he seeks a fourth term, the issue could help him gain support in traditionally Republican areas, following the Supreme Court&#8217;s recent overturning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2002093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2002092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2002092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002092\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2002093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2002092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2002092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2002092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}