NotedDC

NotedDC — Abortion becomes a leading election issue

by Kelsey Carolan and Elizabeth Crisp - 08/23/22 4:32 PM ET

Tuesday’s elections will give Democrats another taste of how big a role abortion rights will play in the midterms as they begin to take on their Republican opponents on the issue.

In a special election in New York’s 19th Congressional District, Democrat Pat Ryan has seized on the anger spurred by the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, hoping that it will be enough for him to defeat his opponent Marc Molinaro (R) to replace former Rep. Antonio Delgado (D).

The special election is likely the last bellwether for how voters in swing districts could cast their ballots ahead of November, our colleague Julia Manchester reports, following a surprising pro-abortion rights victory in Kansas’s special election in July to keep existing abortion protections.

Democrats already knees deep in their general election campaigns have made abortion rights a cornerstone issue as other signs emerge that women will be motivated by the issue.

One recent Reno Gazette Journal/Suffolk University survey reported that Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) — who has made abortion rights a top issue of her campaign — widened her lead with women by 17 percentage points since April against her opponent Adam Laxalt (R).
Women have outpaced men by 12 percentage points in registering to vote in the battleground state of Pennsylvania since the end of June, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, with 62 percent registering as Democrats.

Tuesday’s Florida primary to decide which Democrat will take on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) may also signal whether abortion rights is enough of a motivating issue and deciding factor for voters.

Our colleague Max Greenwood writes that state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has painted herself as the sole abortion-rights candidate since her opponent Rep. Charlie Crist (D) previously identified as a Republican, registering as a Democrat in 2012.

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Glenn Youngkin seeks a national profile

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is continuing to put himself on the 2024 radar, now preparing to stump for Republican candidates ahead of November in battleground states.

Youngkin will be traveling to Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, Oregon and New Mexico to hold rallies with gubernatorial candidates, our colleague Caroline Vakil reports, less than a yea after he flipped Virginia’s gubernatorial seat red.

Why is his influence spreading? Youngkin centered his campaign on cultural issues and education, such as not allowing critical race theory and certain materials dealing with gender and sexuality to be taught in school, similar to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Many Republicans are keeping these issues in the spotlight following Youngkin’s and DeSantis’s rise in popularity, but the difference between how the two appeal to independent voters may come more into focus if they run against each other for the White House.

Youngkin pulled off a win largely because suburban voters crossed over to vote for him versus his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe, who served as Virginia’s governor from 2014 to 2018. Youngkin accepted an endorsement from — but notedly did not campaign in person with — former President Trump.
Meanwhile, DeSantis is stumping for Trump’s endorsed candidates who deny the results of the 2020 election as Trump still takes credit for DeSantis’s rise. DeSantis regularly polls behind only Trump in surveys of potential 2024 GOP primary voters.

Youngkin has also shifted more to abortion following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, now pushing a 15-week ban. He is slated to attend a gala next month hosted by the Susan B. Anthony List, a prominent anti-abortion group.

WHITE HOUSE WATCH

KEY DEPARTURE: The White House liaison to Black voters, Trey Baker, has left the Biden administration to take a job at the Barnes & Thornburg law firm’s D.C. office.

Baker had been at the White House since the start of the Biden administration in 2021, after working on President Biden‘s 2020 campaign.

The Hill’s Alex Gangitano has more.

Baker’s departure comes as Republicans have continued to block Senate passage of voting rights legislation that was part of Biden’s campaign platform.

In an interview with The Root earlier this year, the Mississippi native reflected on the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing issues that affect Black people.

“Folks will sit back and be able to say I was a part of this administration that did for the Black community the things we said we were gonna do and the things that we need to make our community better,” he said.

COMING UP: The White House is expected to unveil a plan on Wednesday to address student debt, but the details remain murky even for some in the administration.

Ideas that have been floated range from canceling $10,000 for people below a certain income level to a broader cancellation that would include more people.

Biden hasn’t taken questions from reporters while he’s been on vacation this week, and there has been no White House press briefing to provide clarity.

During an NBC News interview Sunday, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona would only say that a decision would be made “within the next week or so.”

The clock is ticking, as loan payments are scheduled to restart Aug. 31, more than two years after they were paused in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since taking office, Biden has faced intense pressure from advocates to follow through on a campaign promise to address student debt.

But he walks a fine line, potentially alienating voters who don’t have debt and possibly further driving up inflation.

The team at the Penn Wharton Budget Model has crunched the numbers and estimates that a plan forgiving federal college student loan debt would cost between $300 billion and $980 billion over 10 years, depending on the final details.

Trump’s PAC to help pay for his portrait

Former President Trump’s political action committee is helping finance his presidential portrait, as well as former first lady Melania Trump’s, at the National Portrait Gallery.

This is a first, our colleague Caroline Vakil reported, with no other PAC previously financing a presidential portrait.

How much? Save America PAC gave $650,000, according to a federal expense filing. Another separate private donation of $100,000 will also be given toward the portraits.

Although there is no timeline for when the portraits will be unveiled, a photograph of Trump by Pari Dukovic currently hangs in the gallery.

MORE PORTRAIT NEWS….

The National Portrait Gallery announced the lineup of presenters for its Portrait of a Nation Gala in November, honoring public figures with portraits. Here’s some of the headliners:

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will honor activist Marian Wright Edelman
Singer Alicia Keys will honor music producer Clive Davis
Business woman Mellody Hobson will honor Serena Williams
Philanthropist David Rubenstein will honor Anthony Fauci