According a new electoral survey.
Oregon already has some of the strongest abortion rights protection laws in the country and requires private health insurance and state Medicaid to cover the cost of the procedure. Given the redistricting, control of the state legislature will likely remain firmly in the hands of Democrats, meaning the right to seek abortions in the state is not in immediate jeopardy. (Abortion rights advocates say local wait times to have the procedure could lengthen as abortion seekers from other states flock to the Pacific Northwest for care.)
But the threat to reproductive rights is a powerful political issue – think of Kansas, a conservative-leaning state where voters turned out in droves in a recent primary to crush a proposal to ban the procedure. And in a year when Oregon’s gubernatorial race is expected to be very close given the presence of three credible candidates, it could become a decisive issue and turnout factor for major voters.
A survey of 1,572 Oregon residents conducted in mid-July by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found that 72% of respondents felt that abortion should be legal in some or all casesa stronger show of support than the 61% of voters nationwide who favor reproductive rights.
And although a plurality of voters (46%) told pollsters that the Supreme Court’s actions would not affect their voting decisions in November, almost as many Oregonians (44%) said it would be a factor. Additionally, those who said it would be a consideration were ten times more likely to vote in the general election, according to the poll results.
The poll also found that Democrats and women were the most motivated to vote in November, with 54% of Democrats planning to vote and 43% of women, compared to 38% of independents, 30% of Republicans and 37% of men.
Two of the three gubernatorial candidates, Democrat Tina Kotek and Democratic candidate-turned-unaffiliated Betsy Johnson, have trumpeted their support for reproductive rights in interviews and via social media. Republican Christine Drazan did not delve into the matter, but welcomed news of the Supreme Court’s decision in tweeting “Life wins!”
That stance could cause problems for Drazan, especially in the voter-rich suburb of Portland. The poll found that 65% of voters living in Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties said they were likely to favor candidates who supported reproductive rights; Statewide, 58% of Oregonians said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.
The poll’s margin of error was 2.47%.
