Kansas voters sent a dramatic message Tuesday, choosing to keep the right to abortion in their state constitution just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade. Polls have long shown that voters overwhelmingly support protecting abortion rights. But the no victory in Kansas is proof of that, and signals that the Supreme Court decision has further angered voters and possibly shifted the politics of the issue ahead of the November election. “No” leaves the state constitution unchanged. While state lawmakers can still try to pass restrictive abortion laws, courts in Kansas have recognized the right to abortion under the state constitution. Perhaps the biggest warning to Republicans, many of whom have trumpeted overturning Roe and pushed for stricter abortion laws, is the turnout in Kansas. With 78% of the vote cast as of Tuesday night, nearly 700,000 people have cast ballots in the primary, a number that is already dwarfing turnout in the 2020 presidential election. “This is further proof of what we’ve been told poll after poll: Americans support abortion rights,” said Christina Reynolds, a top executive at Emily’s List, an organization that seeks to elect women who support abortion rights. “They believe we should be able to make our own health care decisions and will vote accordingly, even in the face of misleading campaigns.”
Greitens’ comeback attempt is falling flat
Missouri Republicans heaved a sigh of relief after state Attorney General Eric Schmidt won the Senate primary, according to a CNN projection. Perhaps more important than who won, however, in the deep red state, is who lost: disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens, who was attempting a political comeback. Greitens resigned in 2018 amid a sex scandal and allegations of campaign misconduct, and then faced abuse allegations from his ex-wife, which he has denied Schmidt, the attorney general, emerged from a crowd that included two members of Congress, Representatives Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long. Former President Donald Trump stayed out of the race, issuing a tongue-in-cheek statement endorsing “Eric” on the eve of the primary — leaving it up to voters to interpret whether that meant Schmidt or Greitens.
Dixon’s Michigan gubernatorial win creates referendum on Covid policies
Tudor Dixon, the conservative commentator endorsed by Trump in the final days of the race and backed by major factions of Michigan’s Republican establishment, has won the state’s GOP primary to face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to CNN. The conflict in Michigan could be one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the nation. Whitmer has positioned herself as a bulwark for abortion rights in a state where Republicans tried to push through a 1931 law that would have imposed a near-total abortion ban. Dixon, meanwhile, framed the race in her victory speech Tuesday night as a referendum on the restrictions Whitmer imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dixon, a mother of four supported by the family of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, is also an advocate of school choice — potentially positioning education as a marquee issue in November’s midterm elections.
Another defeat for the progressives in Michigan
The projected Democratic victory in Rep. Haley Stevens’ newly drawn Michigan 11th Congressional District primary win over fellow Rep. Andy Levin marks another blow against progressives in a mostly disappointing season. It’s also a resounding victory for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, and its super PAC, the United Democracy Project, which has spent millions supporting moderate, more staunchly pro-Israel candidates in the Democratic primary. Stevens and Levin both support Israel, but Levin — who is Jewish — has been more willing to criticize his administration’s treatment of the Palestinians and is a major sponsor of the two-state solution bill. Progressive Democrats, often targeted by AIPAC’s spending this primary season, have angered their colleagues for accepting or supporting the group, which has also contributed to Republican election denialists. AIPAC has defended the practice, arguing that its policy goals need bipartisan support. J Street, a liberal pro-Israel group that has clashed with AIPAC, tried to boost Levin with a $700,000 ad buy in July, but that paled in comparison to the millions raised by AIPAC and more than $4 million spent from UDP.