NC Dems encouraged by Kansas abortion vote

Now, NC Democrats are hoping the issue will motivate their voters this fall, too.

The overwhelming vote in Kansas, though, is causing some to reconsider.

The strong bipartisan vote to keep abortion legal in Kansas stunned a lot of political observers who expected the deeply conservative state to vote the other way. Democrats like Congresswoman Deborah Ross think it’s a sign that anger at the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights is motivating voters.

"The fact that Kansas was the canary in the coal mine for this and we got this result, I think, sends a very, very strong message to the rest of the country," said Ross.

Whether that translates to North Carolina is more complex. There’s no constitutional amendment on the ballot here. Voters will weigh candidates on many issues, including inflation. But Meredith College political science Prof. David McLennan says it's clear abortion rights will be a high-profile campaign issue that could help democrats in key races.

"I think it gives them confidence and the ability to say, hey, if Kansas can do it, we can bring voters out and try to win those races that keeps the supermajority from happening in the legislature," said McLennan.

At a news conference Wednesday, Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein said that means abortion rights are on the ballot in North Carolina this fall.

"If the Republicans gain a super majority in the legislature, they have made it crystal clear that they will restrict women, strip them of those rights," said Stein, "and voters and the people of North Carolina need to know that as well."

WRAL News asked the NC Republican party for its response to the Kansas vote, but a spokesman declined to comment for our story. Spokespeople for Republican legislative leaders did not respond to WRAL's request for comment.