TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Abortion rights seem to have been a major issue driving voters to choose Democratic candidates, but it wasn’t the only issue motivating voters to weigh in.
Voter apathy is usually a factor in the midterms. Without a choice for President on the ballot, a lot of voters just don’t turn out. But this year, analysts say abortion issues drove voters out to support candidates who support abortion rights, but abortion was not the only thing driving voters.
Abortion triggers strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Strong protests followed when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade and gave state governments control of abortion laws.
Strong reactions do not always turn into strong voter turnouts, but abortion rights activists say in this case they did.
Planned Parenthood Arizona President Brittany Fonteno says about a third of Arizona voters cited abortion as a top driver for their vote. But she says abortion connected to another factor that voters often worry about: the economy.
“Many of our patients who seek abortion care are actually already parents. And so they're making a decision that is economic and that is what's in the best interest of their families.”
The election of Katie Hobbs does not automatically mean abortion rights will be restored because she supports them. There is still a Republican majority in the state legislature—including many lawmakers who passed abortion restrictions in their last session.
When we asked voters what drove them to choose the candidates they did, several cited abortion but others had other concerns at the top of their lists.
Jeff Maggert says, “I pretty much voted against all the people that were election deniers and they all pretty much lost.”
William Martin is concerned about immigration: “And the economy. I mean, if the illegal immigration doesn't get us, I think the I think the deficits are gonna get us.”
{Natalie Brown was thinking of her children as she said: “There’s a lot of things that are going on and are definitely issues but education and health were the main priorities that I looked for.”
For David Moore: “On My Mind abortion rights, democracy, especially voting rights.”
Melody Allan took a broad view of the election:
“I felt that we were losing our democracy. And I felt America was disappearing. And I was very frightened that we would disappear. Still, this election showed me that we still are America.”