Ohio Voters Reject Ballot Initiative on Abortion, Alarming Republicans and Prompting Questions About the Republican Strategy on Abortion.

Ohio Voters Reject Ballot Initiative on Abortion, Alarming Republicans

Ohio voters have decisively rejected a ballot initiative that was widely understood to be a proxy fight for a coming proposal to enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution. The result has sent alarm bells ringing among some Republicans and prominent conservatives, who fear the clear salience of the issue.

The Ohio result, coming on the heels of the shellacking in Michigan and the unexpected loss in Kentucky, has been described by Patrick Brown, a conservative scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, as a “five-alarm fire for the pro-life movement.”

The defeat of the ballot initiative has left Republicans reeling, as retreating on abortion would infuriate the majority of their base that wants to ban the procedure, while their current strategy is alienating a formidable slice of swing voters who favor some GOP positions but oppose the restrictions on abortion.

Some Republicans are conjuring up strawmen to blame, such as being outspent by the “vote no” side — despite being well-bankrolled themselves, including by Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein — and having insufficient time to campaign — despite the fact that state.

Ohio is just the latest red state to vote for abortion protections or against restrictions post-Dobbs, joining the ranks of Kentucky, Kansas and Montana. This has prompted many to question the effectiveness of the Republican strategy on abortion, and whether it is time for the party to re-evaluate its approach.