In the state of Ohio, which sided with former Republican President Donald Trump in the last two U.S. presidential elections, a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to abortion was passed in a referendum. It was a vote that was seen as another weathervane to get a glimpse of next year’s presidential election vote, as it was a confrontation between the ruling Democratic Party, which supports the legalization of abortion (pro-choice), and the opposition Republican Party, which opposes the legalization of abortion (pro-life). US President Joe Biden cheered, saying, “Democracy has won.”
According to the Associated Press, in the Ohio referendum held on the 7th on whether to codify the right to abortion in the state constitution, a majority was obtained with 56.4% in favor (43.6% against) based on 98% of votes counted. Ohio is a traditional ‘swing state’, but in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, support for former President Trump was 8 percentage points higher than for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Biden, respectively. In those states, a year before the presidential election, support for the right to abortion advocated by the Democratic Party was higher.
This referendum is part of a ‘legislative war’ that has been going on in each region since the Supreme Court handed over the authority to decide whether to maintain abortion rights to each state with the repeal of Roe v. Wade last year. Abortion rights guarantee bills have won in all 7 states, including Ohio, in related votes.
Former US President Donald TrumpCNN analyzed, “These results are a sign that even in Ohio, where the Republican Party was popular, abortion rights are an important issue for voters beyond political parties.” Accordingly, the Democratic Party is attempting to make abortion rights a key issue in next year’s presidential election by raising related legislative battles in as many states as possible. Already, election advertisements targeting the Republican Party, which bans abortion rights, are being aired on TV, featuring a 12-year-old girl who was raped and had an unwanted pregnancy.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.