Democrats hope threat to abortion rights will rouse voters

Vulnerable Democrats from Nevada to New Hampshire are promising to make abortion a centerpiece of their political strategy heading into the midterm elections, betting that an intense focus on the divisive issue can rally their voters to beat back a red wave and preserve their narrow majorities in Congress.

Strategists in both parties suggest it may not be so easy.

Democrats have been sounding the alarm on abortion rights in nearly every election cycle this century, including last month’s stunning defeat in the Virginia governor’s race. In most cases, it’s Republicans who have shown to be more motivated by the issue.

Still, as the Supreme Court’s conservative majority signals a willingness to weaken or reverse the landmark Roe v. Wade precedent, Democrats insist they can convince voters that the threat to women’s health is real and present in a way it wasn’t before.

“This isn’t crying wolf. This is actually happening,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who is facing a difficult reelection test in Nevada, said in an Associated Press interview. She took to the Senate floor Wednesday and warned, “The reproductive freedom of women everywhere is in jeopardy,” before casting her Republican opponents as “anti-abortion extremists” in the interview.