CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade Friday, abortion found its way to the forefront of North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race.
At a news conference Friday in Raleigh, Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley, the former North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice, said the ruling has brought the country to a turning point, one that she hoped would energize Democratic voters.
Her Republican competitor, U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, issued a statement of his own, calling the decision “a victory for the millions of unborn children who may now realize the most fundamental of all human rights, the right to life.”
The battle for abortion rights in North Carolina may be waged most aggressively in the state legislature, which could pass legislation to limit or eliminate access to abortions. Still, the U.S. Senate candidates are expected to campaign on the issue, and Beasley framed the election as a watershed moment.
“We must elect leaders who will stand up for our constitutional rights,” she said Friday at the news conference in Raleigh. “In this election, we must be determined to protect our constitutional rights to abortion. And if I am elected, I will defend that right.”
A Civitas poll released by the conservative John Locke Foundation this month showed Budd with a five-point lead over Beasley. A poll from WRAL-TV and SurveyUSA this month gave Beasley a four-point lead. The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Budd with a four-point lead over Beasley.
Roe v. Wade’s impact in North Carolina Senate race
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling puts abortion rights in the hands of the states. In North Carolina, abortion remains legal and Democrats hold enough seats in the General Assembly to uphold Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto.
The power of the U.S. Senate is more limited, said Susan Roberts, a political science professor at Davidson College who focuses on reproductive rights.
While Beasley said she’ll fight to codify Roe v. Wade, Roberts said the chances of that actually happening are “very low.” She said too few legislators, including some Democrats, would support such a measure. The U.S. Senate, however, confirms nominations to the Supreme Court.
Roberts said abortion could still play a role in who wins in November. Beasley could use the issue to mobilize the Democratic base, particularly younger women who are normally less likely to vote in midterm elections, Roberts said.
Bobbie Richardson, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, also framed the November election around abortion rights.
“This decision raises the stakes in this year’s election in a major way,” Richardson said during Beasley’s press conference Friday. “It has never been more important to elect leaders who will protect abortion and a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions.”
How will abortion ruling affect voter turnout?
It is unclear to what extent the court ruling and ensuing activism will increase turnout for voters.
A poll from Suffolk University and USA Today released Friday found fewer than 15% of respondents said abortion was their No. 1 issue heading into the November elections.
Larry Shaheen, an attorney and Republican operative from Charlotte, said polling over the next few weeks will give a better picture of how much the U.S. Supreme Court ruling has changed people’s minds. He doesn’t expect abortion to increase Democratic turnout enough to sway the results.
“Yes, this is going to energize the Democrats to go vote,” Shaheen said, “But the people who view this as the No. 1 issue and are upset are the same people who are going to vote anyway.”
Inflation, gas prices, the economy and jobs, he said, outweigh abortion rights for most voters.
Budd said in a statement on Friday the ruling “correctly empowers the people’s representatives in each state to decide how best to protect unborn lives.”
“As a conscience-driven pro-life advocate, I will continue to support protections for unborn children everywhere,” he said.
In a CBS interview in April, Budd declined to say whether he would support banning abortions in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger.
“Let’s just admit right upfront, regardless of what your political background is or what party you’re with, that it’s a tragedy when somebody finds themself there, and I want to say, why would you want to add a second tragedy to an already very tough situation,” he said. “I don’t condemn anybody that’s ever been through that, but I want to say, let’s not add more tragedy to a very tough situation.”
Shaheen said abortion could energize Republicans as well and that some voters will see the Supreme Court decision as an opportunity to pass abortion restrictions that were previously unattainable. The 2022 elections, he said, could be seen as the key to unlock that opportunity.
Most North Carolinians against curtailing abortion, poll finds
Just over 50% of North Carolinians want to pass a law codifying Roe v. Wade or expanding abortion access further, according to a Meredith College poll released in May. Just under 40% wanted to eliminate making abortion completely illegal or severely curtail it, the poll found.
The relative unpopularity of curtailing abortion rights could help Beasley win votes among moderate and independent voters who either are undecided or would have otherwise abstained from voting in November, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.
“If anybody gets a boost (from the Supreme Court decision), I think it’ll be Beasley,” Cooper said. “She’s been a quiet candidate, and if she comes out swinging on an issue like this where she is closer to the average North Carolinian than Ted Budd is, then I think it helps her.
“Now is a perfect time to sing loudly and clearly.”
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