E-Blast: Winning on Abortion: Tactics for Democrats to Respond to Suspension of Medication Abortion and Elevate Abortion Threats Ahead of 2024 📋

APRIL 10, 2023

TYPE:
Eblast
AUDIENCE:
Race and Racism, Reproductive Justice, African-Americans, AAPI, Women, Millennials, Gen Z

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

HIT NEWSLETTER

Winning on Abortion: Tactics for Democrats to Respond to Suspension of Medication Abortion and Elevate Abortion Threats Ahead of 2024

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Roshni Nedungadi, Chief Research Officer
Ashley Aylward, Research Manager
Carla Hardy, Analyst

RE: Winning on Abortion: Tactics for Democrats to Respond to Suspension of
Medication Abortion and Elevate Abortion Threats Ahead of 2024

On Friday, a federal judge moved to suspend approval of a key abortion medication, which could have a devastating impact on abortion access—more than half of abortions in the United States are performed via medication. This comes on top of a slew of recent attacks on abortion rights: radical legislation like a 15-week national ban and the amplification of misinformation like “born alive” abortions.

Abortion access has been eliminated or severely restricted for many women since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade-at least 18 states have enacted abortion bans. From July to August 2022, 10,000 fewer legal abortions took place than did in April and May. By November 2022, the share of women who had to travel more than an hour to obtain an abortion more than doubled. Top doctors are warning about an “increased likelihood of complications from self-managed abortions and forced pregnancy in underserved areas.” This will disproportionately impact Black and Latina women, who are more likely to seek abortions than white women.

The memo provides tactical ways campaigns can highlight abortion restrictions and how to fight against them. At the national level, retooling five effective campaign tactics from 2022 represents the best opportunity to take the fight to Republicans.

1. Elevate the issue. Ad spending, primary endorsements, forcing opponents to take stances on a national abortion ban.

2. Value signaling to young voters. Taking risky actions like disseminating information on how to subvert abortion bans to mobilize the young base.

3. Define Republicans as extreme by uplifting their most unpopular policy outcomes, like forcing children/teens to remain pregnant.

4. Confront Republicans’ misinformation. Correcting and dispelling falsehoods about later-in-pregnancy abortions.

5. Issue position papers. Clearly articulating policy responses to restrictions, such as pushing the FDA to expand the permitted use of abortion medication.

National Strategies:

The chart below provides examples of what worked in 2022 and suggestions for replicating success in 2024.

Restrictive State Strategies:

At the state level Republicans are proposing everything from first-trimester bans and restrictions on abortion medication to criminal penalties for seeking/providing abortions outside of the state.

However, Michigan progressives successfully turned their restrictive state into a protective one in the 2022 election. Recommendations to export their accomplishments to other states include:

1. Putting abortion on the ballot. In a handful of states where abortion is restricted, state law would allow for ballot initiatives to directly enact abortion protections.

2. Protesting at statehouses against new restrictions. Candidates should join pro-abortion rights protests to spotlight new restrictions.

3. Telling personal experiences about abortion access. Speaking about one’s own or a constituent’s story helps humanize the issue and appeal to a broad audience.

The chart below provides examples of what worked in restrictive states in 2022 and suggestions for replicating success in 2024.