Texas Democrats hope abortion ruling will help in November
DALLAS — The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade has sounded the bell for a new round in the fight over abortion rights that will be staged in ballot boxes instead of courtrooms.
The November midterm elections provide the first test of how the nation will respond to Friday’s ruling, and activists on both sides are rallying supporters.
In Texas and across the nation, voters will either elect candidates to pass laws reinstating abortion rights, or they will choose conservative legislators to uphold anti-abortion legislation.
Looking for a spark in what could be a tough midterm election year, Democrats are hoping for a backlash against the ruling that will lead to political victories.
But even with anger sparking fresh energy among Democrats, Republicans hold a structural advantage in November. Not only does the GOP have its own enthusiasm, but the gerrymandering of districts makes a power shift in the Texas Legislature nearly impossible.
Add President Joe Biden’s plummeting popularity and concerns over inflation, and the passion of the fight for abortion rights might not be enough to propel Democrats, especially in critical legislative races that will determine the party that writes the laws.
“Unless we’re all plunged into darkness because of a grid failure, there’s nothing in Texas that’s really competitive,” Plano political consultant Vinny Minchillo said. “There are other states where the abortion issue could make a difference, but here, most of the races are fait accompli.”
With many district races out of reach, veteran Democrats are targeting statewide showdowns. That includes the race for governor between former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott.
On Sunday, O’Rourke plans a rally in Austin for abortion rights. A Houston event in May after a leaked opinion foreshadowing the court’s decision drew thousands.
“People in Texas have been trained to think that their vote doesn’t matter,” former state Sen. Wendy Davis said of legislative races. “Those gerrymandered lines cannot touch us and our power in a statewide election.”
In 2013, Davis donned pink Mizuno Wave Riders for a 13-hour filibuster that scuttled an anti-abortion bill. It made her a national figure and set up an unsuccessful run for governor against Abbott.
“The fight is going to be for the long term,” she said. “We have to be resolved as to what it’s going to take.”
People on both sides are ready for it.
“Politicians everywhere, Texas in particular, should be very afraid because this rage is not going to be short term,” said Julie Ross, a North Texas health care advocate who says the Supreme Court ruling made her sick to her stomach.
Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokeswoman for Texas Right to Life, said: “This basically just means that we’re on an even playing field … that we can go state-by-state and pass pro-life legislation without being suffocated by the federal court. This doesn’t mean this is the end of the pro-life fight.”
Gerrymandering gives Texas GOP an edge
Texas is the epicenter of the fight over abortion rights.
Since seizing control of the Texas House in 2002, Republicans have passed a slew of anti-abortion laws, including last year’s trigger law in anticipation of the fall of Roe vs. Wade. The law makes it a felony to perform an abortion and outsources enforcement to legal vigilantes.