Republicans don't want to talk about abortion. In these states, they may have to.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Republicans don’t want to talk about abortion. In these states, they may have to.

In at least two battleground states, voters will decide in the midterms whether to protect a right to the procedure.


Abortion rights activists march in Las Vegas, Nevada. The state will vote in November on enshrining abortion rights in the state's constitution. (Photo by Ronda Churchill / AFP) | AFP via Getty Images

By Alice Miranda Ollstein
06/21/2026 02:00 PM EDT

Democrats are prioritizing other issues over abortion in the runup to the fall midterm elections, while Republicans are taking pains to avoid the topic altogether. But another wave of state ballot initiatives to protect a right to abortion could force candidates on both sides to articulate their positions.

Progressive advocacy groups and Democratic strategists are confident that this year’s four abortion rights ballot measures — especially those in Virginia and Nevada — will put vulnerable GOP candidates in the hot seat with voters, 60 percent of whom believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases. They also expect the initiatives to boost turnout on the left, especially among younger voters, who are more likely to support abortion access, and help candidates prevail in important state and federal races.

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[Whip-poor-will]

1. Forced birth

Republicans own it