Roe v. Wade Could Play Big Role In Upcoming Wisconsin Elections

Wisconsin’s prospective Democratic candidates looking for an edge in the upcoming state elections may have gotten just that on May 2 when a leaked draft revealed the Supreme Court is considering overturning Roe v. Wade, which guarantees a constitutional right to an abortion. 

While the leaked draft is not official until the court publishes it, if Roe v. Wade was overturned, it could lead to abortion becoming banned in over 20 states, including Wisconsin. 

In Wisconsin, an 1849 law labels providing abortion as a felony punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of $10,000. 

Wisconsin Republican politicians were quick to voice their support for the overturning. Former Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch tweeted “BREAKING → SCOTUS will overturn Roe v. Wade. It’s about time!” 

Kevin Nicholson, also running for governor, tweeted “I pray this is true.” 

Their outspoken support puts them at odds with public opinion. About 72% of the population opposes overturning Roe v. Wade, according to a Marquette University Poll conducted in January. Among Republicans, about 55% are in favor of overturning it, according to the poll. 

Though, if given a closer look, it does become less surprising when you take history into perspective. 

Though Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, Republicans have not let it slip their minds for a single term, according to UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication Professor Michael Wagner. 

“The major project when it comes to social policy for Republicans, since the mid-1970s has been to overturn Roe v. Wade,” Wagner said.  

A decade after the official ruling of Roe v. Wade, then-President Ronald Reagan made a pledge to fight to overturn it over a radio broadcast. 

Though he spent most of his professional life not expressing strong views regarding abortion, President H.W. Bush took a stronger stand against it when he ran for president. 

Mitt Romney stated he was pro-choice in 1994, and thought women should have the right to make medical decisions regarding their own bodies, but during his candidacy in 2011 he said he was pro-life with the exceptions of rape, incest and the safety of the mother. 

It is a noticeable pattern of presidential candidates making public declarations denouncing Roe v. Wade. Even those who did not have particular strong pro-life beliefs, or agreed with the Roe v. Wade ruling, changed their views during the Presidential race. 

“They (Republicans) say vote for us for President,” said Wagner. “And we will appoint Justices to the Supreme Court who will overturn Roe v. Wade.” 

That’s what happened when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. 

During his presidency, Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Each of them voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the leak. 

Since the leak, multiple protests have sprouted up across the state. On May 4, over 1,000 gathered in front of the State Capitol in protest of the Supreme Court’s supposed decision. Three days later, a second rally took place. 

Given the number of people who publicly spoke out against the decision, this could provide Wisconsin Democrats with a rare chance to win support from people who normally wouldn’t vote for them. This isn’t a matter of funding or inflation; these laws could force decisions on thousands of women regardless of their situation. 

Although Wisconsin has a sizable Republican population, that does not mean that each individual agrees with the more outspoken members of their party. Plenty of Republicans in Wisconsin support a woman’s right to a safe abortion under certain circumstances, according to Wagner. 

This opens avenues of persuasion for Democratic senate candidates to bring Republican or Republican-leaning voters towards their side over this shared issue. 

The days after the leak, candidate and Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski released an advertisement from outside the Supreme Court in which she condemned what she called a “cruel abortion ban.” 

Senate candidate and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes also responded with this statement, “It has never been more clear why we need to abolish the filibuster and take immediate action to protect every person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies. We must act now.” 

Tensions are definitely high now, but the primary is not until August 9. That’s three months for tempers to cool and righteous anger to be displaced with apathy. Will abortion rights still be front-and-center in voters’ minds when the time comes? 

The official decision regarding the future of Roe v. Wade is expected to be made over the next few weeks, likely as soon as June. If it is overturned, each state will have to make decisions regarding how they will respond and enforce abortion laws. 

If Democrats want to take full advantage of this opportunity, they are going to need to find a way to keep voters’ attention.