Experts in the US: The economy will be more important than abortion in the 2024 elections

2023-11-16 19:23:56, Kosova & Bota CNA

Experts in the US: The economy will be more important than abortion in the 2024

Democratic candidates who support abortion rights recently secured big wins in some conservative states. But some experts say the economy is expected to be a more important issue for voters in the 2024 presidential election.

Supporters and opponents of abortion restrictions are still analyzing the reasons for the Democratic candidates' victories in the conservative states of Ohio and Kentucky.

Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won a second term in this month's election over a Republican rival who supported abortion restrictions, and voters in Ohio approved a proposal to protect abortion rights.

"Americans support the right to abortion and will go to the polls to protect that right," says Veronica Ingham of Ohio's United for Reproductive Rights.

"It was an uphill battle for the pro-life movement because it was up against tens of millions of dollars that came from sources outside of the state of Ohio," said Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life in America.

Abortion has become an important issue since 2022 when the Supreme Court overturned the 'Roe v. Wade' decision, which had made abortion legal in the United States. While a number of states have imposed restrictions on abortion, abortion rights supporters say it has sparked a voter backlash.

"They grew up in a country where women were constitutionally guaranteed the right to abortion at least until the third trimester of pregnancy. "Now that this issue is back in the hands of the states, supporters of the abortion ban are seeing that people don't want the government to interfere with their reproductive health," says Jeremy Mayer, a professor at George Mason University.

The abortion issue may have helped Democrats win a majority in the Virginia legislature this month, but analysts warn the issue may have less impact on the 2024 general election, including the presidential one.

"The economy is always the most important issue. There are other issues that can affect people and can change the outcome of elections in some states. "Democrats think that abortion is one of the important secondary issues in next year's elections," says Todd Belt, a professor at George Washington University.

Given the recent losses, Professor Belt thinks Republicans will prioritize other issues in next year's election campaign.

"They will probably focus again on the issue of crime, immigration, and I'm sure they will talk a lot about inflation and the economic issues that concern Americans," says Professor Belt.

However, experts say the abortion issue will be present and could increase voter turnout in the 2024 election, especially if conservative states like Florida and Arizona are included in referendums on constitutional changes.
USA/ VOA