us-elections

Harris Struggled to Capitalize on Abortion as Key Issue in U.S. Election 2024 | N18G

Kamala Harris' campaign for the White House focused on mobilizing voters upset over the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, which ended the federal right to abortion. Despite Harris' efforts, exit polls showed that abortion was not a top priority for most voters, with only 14% citing it as their primary issue, compared to nearly a third who said the economy was their main concern. Harris did better than Trump with women voters (53% to 45%), but her share of the female vote was smaller than Biden's in 2020, and Trump made gains among women, improving by 3 percentage points. While Harris campaigned for a federal law to restore abortion rights, Trump argued the issue should be left to states. As abortion laws become more state-specific, future state-level elections, particularly for state supreme courts, will be crucial in determining abortion access.

first published: Nov 10, 2024 03:48 pm