Democrats have spent $175 million on broadcast TV ads messaging on abortion rights in Senate races this year— as they look to repeat their victory from the 2022 midterms, when anger over the loss of those rights helped them blunt a red wave.
The combined spending by Democratic candidates and super PACs makes abortion by far the most prevalent topic in 2024 Democratic messaging, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact, beating out health care, the economy and immigration.
That investment reflects a party that is banking on abortion rights to save its Senate majority and win races across the map — from the manufacturing towns of Ohio to the suburbs of Arizona to the ranches of Montana.
It may not be enough. The GOP needs to net only two seats to guarantee control of the upper chamber. They are well positioned to do that and remain competitive in nearly every major Senate race. But even party strategists acknowledge abortion remains a liability. Many Republicans have shifted their stance on abortion since the fall of Roe v. Wade to reflect the widespread public support for access to the procedure. But that pivot has not been clean, underscoring the difficulties that GOP candidates still face when trying to discuss it.