Abortion may no longer be a top priority for Democratic voters ahead of 2026 midterms, polls show | Abortion
This year, up to seven states will vote on abortion rights. But latest polls show Democrats may not be trustworthy issue in their efforts To increase votes in the 2026 midterm elections abortion rights the centerpiece of their presentation to voters in the ensuing elections. The fall of Roe v Wade.
In 2024, 55 percent of Democrats say abortion is important to their votes, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). But in October of this year, only 36% of Democrats said the same. PRRI, by contrast, found that abortion remains just as important to Republicans in both 2024 and 2025. PRRI’s findings mirror a survey conducted in September Research from 19th and SurveyMonkey found that the voters most concerned about abortion are those who want abortion banned.
During the 2024 elections, abortion was seen as Democrats’ strongest issue after the 2022 overturn of Roe led to a wave of deeply unpopular abortion bans at the state level. As Kamala Harris puts abortion rights at the center of her presidential campaign, Democratic Senate candidates and Super Pacs He shed a staggering amount of $175 million We feature more TV ads about abortion than any other topic. Donald Trump, who brought down Roe He has repeatedly tried to downplay the fight over abortion rights by appointing three conservative justices to the US supreme court, seeing it as a political liability and a firm boost for Democrats.
But power Turns out the problem was Overrated in 2024. Trump easily won the popular vote and Republicans eventually took control. Both houses of Congress. Still, the president has largely avoided taking further action on the issue at the federal level, focusing instead on the issue. on initiatives such as fighting immigration, imposing high tariffs, and crushing the federal workforce.
the turmoil increased PRRI’s Melissa Deckman says Americans are distracted from abortion CEO.
“It’s hard to catch your breath because new, ugly things happen in the administration every day,” Deckman said. He added that abortion has been replaced by affordability and economics has become one of the primary issues. “That seems to be the first and most important thing for everybody. But it’s also about the state of democracy for Democrats. We consistently see Democrats being more concerned about the health of democracy.”
An August poll by Emily’s List, a group that supports Democratic women who support abortion rights, found that voters are now prioritizing the economy over abortion. But it also found that 49 percent of female voters consider threats to abortion rights a “deal breaker.” Abortion continues to be a hot topic in state supreme court elections, which now have the final say on the legality of abortion restrictions at the state level.
Lawyers right now We are working to collect enough signatures to pass abortion rights measures in the state Ballots in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon and Virginia. The measures proposed by Idaho, Oregon and Virginia would protect access to abortion, while the measures by Nebraska and Montana would eliminate it. Two states, Nevada and Missouri, have already confirmed abortion-related measures will appear on the ballot. (Nevada passed an abortion rights amendment in 2024, but it must be passed a second time before the constitution can be amended.)
In the past, Democrats have hoped that such measures, which voters tend to support, would boost their candidates. But in 2024, voters supported abortion rights but rejected Democratic candidates. Trump won four states that supported ballot measures adding abortion rights to state constitutions.
Some of these measures have also proven to be less game-changing than advocates initially hoped. In Missouri in 2024 Voters decided to amend the state constitution to protect abortion rights, making the state, which at the time banned nearly all abortions, the first state to repeal the post-Roe ban. But a protracted legal battle over the measure’s definitive implications has repeatedly prevented Missouri abortion clinics from offering the procedure. Now in 2026, voters will be asked whether they want to repeal the measure they passed just two years ago.
“Not understanding and not communicating that these people are going to continue to destroy abortion access feels like a complete failure of messaging,” said Alisha Dingus, executive director of the D.C. Abortion Fund, which helps people access abortion. “I would like to see more politicians who are more comfortable talking about abortion on a more regular basis.”
Declining interest in abortion is having a trickle-down effect on the fundraising efforts of abortion rights advocates. Donations to the D.C. Abortion Fund plummeted in 2025 as post-Roe outrage donations evaporated and economic struggles led reliable donors to stop donating.
Data shows that abortions in the U.S. have increased over the past few years, thanks in large part to online access to abortion pills. But Dingus fears funding for women who need to go to clinics for abortions will be cut. Currently, the D.C. Abortion Fund distributes about $3,800 a week to dozens of people to support abortion-related costs; but Dingus isn’t sure how long the money will last.
“What I see is going off the cliff in 2026, because we can only extend these additional dollars for so long,” Dingus said.
