Democrats in Indiana races hope resentment over the state’s abortion ban will improve their election chances. But Republicans are widely expected to maintain control in the Statehouse.
That could make passing laws to protect abortion difficult.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick has made restoring abortion access a pillar of her campaign. If she wins, she’ll almost certainly butt heads with a Republican-led legislature, but she’s suggested using the power of her office to get around that resistance.
“For us, it's about looking at all of the avenues that we have within the governor's authority, including the boards, the commissions, the agencies, also using the platform to champion for a citizen led ballot initiative,” McCormick said.
McCormick hopes that if Democrat Destiny Wells wins against incumbent Todd Rokita in the race for attorney general, she could loosen some restrictions on healthcare providers.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun supports Indiana’s near-total abortion ban and said he’s committed to “standing up for the unborn.” Braun’s campaign could not be reached for an interview.
Polling by an abortion rights group has shown that most Hoosiers support legal abortion in all or most cases.
The 2024 governor’s race has been unusually competitive in solid-red Indiana, leading both parties nationwide to pour money into Braun and McCormick’s campaigns. Strong polling by Libertarian Donald Rainwater ( between 6 and 9 percent) could also cut into Braun’s lead, prompting Republicans to run rare attack ads against the third-party candidate.
Still, in Indiana Republicans hold all the statewide offices and they have super majorities in the state House and Senate.
Almost a million Hoosiers have already cast their ballots. That’s more than any other election except 2020.
