Heading into this year, the 2022 midterm election was expected to be a red wave. There was COVID fatigue, inflation was on the rise, and Democrats had historical precedents against them. The president’s party traditionally does poorly in the midterms.
However, one of the issues that Democrats are hoping turn the tide is abortion. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, email blasts were sent to voters across the country urging them to go vote. They said the future of reproductive rights depends on it.
Meanwhile, the Republican response has varied. Leadership says it wants this issue decided at the state level, but U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) has proposed a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly has pushed any discussion on abortion to next year, but it has been a major debate in South Carolina over the last few months.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we examine how abortion has resonated across the country since the Dobbs decision, what could happen in the Carolinas, and whether anger over the issue is enough to stem a potential red wave.
GUESTS:
Nathaniel Weixel, health reporter at The Hill
Susan Roberts, political science professor at Davidson College
Lucille Sherman, reporter at Axios Raleigh
