US midterms: A win for abortion?
And what it could mean for women
Texas and Georgia just elected governors who say they’ll work to restore abortion access. Election results may signal change, but what they mean for women's lives is far from certain.
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More women and Democrats in control of previous Republican strongholds open up possibilities to change women’s reproductive health and rights. But change won’t happen overnight.
I’ve written a lot of abortion explainers over the last decade. But none quite like this.
On Wednesday morning, I pulled up my local paper and gasped. The former mayor of my hometown, Atlanta, had broken through so many systemic barriers: the first Black woman in the US to hold a state’s highest office, the first Black governor of Georgia, the state’s first Democrat in almost three decades – all while running a grassroots campaign against a billionaire who spent an unprecedented amount on his bid.
And she wasn’t alone. Historic wins put more women and Democrats in control of previous Republican strongholds across the country. And though voters didn’t rank it as their top priority, these wins have opened up possibilities for women’s lives to change, particularly around abortion access. But nothing will change overnight.
Repairing the damage to abortion services after decades of neglect, and with the toppling of Roe v Wade, will take years.
