Several states could see a push in political advertising ahead of the midterm elections as three pro-abortion rights groups plan to pour $150 million into increasing voter turnout.
The three groups — Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and EMILY’s List — unveiled their plan on Monday to allocate funds toward advertising, mobilization efforts, messaging research, and polling, according to the strategy obtained by Politico. The outreach will focus on races up and down the ballot, covering both state and federal offices in nine states.
“Let this be a warning to the out-of-touch politicians standing in the way of our reproductive freedom: People are watching. People are furious. And this November, the people will vote you out,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told the outlet.
The advertising will be focused on elections in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, which are all considered to have competitive Senate races, as well as California, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Each of the states also has its governor’s seat up for grabs in November, a crucial position in the fight for abortion rights.
The spending plan comes as groups seek to preserve access to abortion access as GOP legislatures enact strict laws limiting abortion rights and the Supreme Court is expected to rule on a landmark case this summer that could overturn Roe v. Wade.
Most recently, Oklahoma passed a bill last week that would ban abortions at any stage of pregnancy and would deputize private citizens to enforce the law, similar to one passed by Texas months earlier. Conversely, Connecticut passed a bill on Friday night establishing itself as a “place of refuge” for women seeking abortions, allowing out-of-state visitors to undergo the procedure without consequence.
Democrats have become increasingly concerned that pro-abortion voters won’t be motivated enough to vote in November, prompting Democratic operatives to urge candidates to be more aggressive.
“Electing lawmakers who will ferociously fight for reproductive freedom is essential to ensuring that we’re prepared for what comes next,” said Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL. “And that’s exactly why we’re joining our partners in this critical, unprecedented effort.”
Reporting from The Washington Examiner.
