US: Democratic victory in New York special election highlights impact of abortion issue in midterms

Less than three months left until the US midterm elections in November and the primary victories in states have underlined which issues are seen as important for voters. The key issue of abortion rights was front and center following a Democratic victory in a special election in New York.

New York Democrat Pat Ryan won against Republican Marc Molinaro to represent the 19th Congressional District in New York. With 99 percent of the votes counted, Ryan won against Molinaro by 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent. The district is seen as a swing district, having voted for Barack Obama in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020.

Ryan will be serving in the seat until January, as the seat will disappear due to redistricting. Ryan is also running for different congressional seats during the November midterm races.

Ryan’s victory in the special elections also highlighted the key issue of abortion rights months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Ryan campaigned on the issue including the future of the country’s democracy, mobilizing voters who are outraged by the court’s decision.

Ryan’s election also follows the referendum in Kansas, where voters voted to preserve the state’s abortion protections despite a Republican-controlled legislature.

The November midterm elections will determine whether the Democratic Party maintains its majority in both the House and the Senate.

Democrats are hoping to use the referendum in Kansas, along with Ryan’s election victory and legislative achievements, to maintain their hold in both chambers. State primaries in Florida, Oklahoma, and New York also took place this week, where voters chose their party’s nominees for the November race.

Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, states with GOP-controlled legislatures began enforcing their own abortion bans, with the Justice Department challenging said bans in the courts. Some of the abortion bans being implemented in such states provide little to no exceptions for rape and incest.

A federal judge Wednesday ruled to block the near-total abortion ban in Idaho in favor of the DOJ. The judge ruled in favor of the DOJ, with the department arguing that the ban conflicted with federal law.