Let's Make the Midterms All About Abortion

7.9.26

Click to skip ahead: The Midterms Should Be All About Abortion; Trump Administration Under Pressure Over Abortion Pills; In the States: Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, California & More; Ballot Box: Graham Platner, Anti-Abortion Endorsements & More; Read My Tabs

---

The Midterms Should Be All About Abortion

Planned Parenthood is set to spend more than $47 million for the midterms, POLITICO reported today. The healthcare giant—which just got its federal funding restored—plans to go after the Republicans who voted to defund them. Good.

Planned Parenthood says they’re putting those millions towards voter outreach in 10 battleground House races, Senate races in Maine and Michigan, and state elections in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Nevada.

Sarah Standiford, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes, told POLITICO, “We’re in the fight of our lives.”

Remember—Reproductive Freedom for All also just announced that they’ll be spending $23.5 million this year to reach “independents, soft Republicans, and split-ticket voters” in Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Georgia, and California.

Then there’s Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America—which plans to spend at least $80 million during the midterms.

All of which is to say, the midterms are sure to be all about abortion rights. And they should be! Republicans are running from the issue—which only gets more unpopular for them by the day—so it’s the perfect moment for Democrats to go all in.

I’ll have more for you in the coming days and weeks on how to help make sure that happens, so keep an eye on your inboxes.

Trump Administration Under Pressure Over Abortion Pills

Anti-abortion activists have sent a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche from “women harmed by abortion drugs.” The letter urges the Department of Justice to support Louisiana’s mifepristone suit, “so abortion drugs are no longer sent through the mail in ways that put women at risk.”

How many women signed this letter? Fourteen. How many of those fourteen women were anti-abortion activists? Quite a lot! Even Abby Johnson signed—she’s a long-time extremist who wants women charged with murder for ending their pregnancies.

This actually perfectly captures the anti-abortion movement: they don’t have the numbers or science on their side, but they’ll keep pushing ahead regardless.

While we’re on anti-abortion absurdity: Students for Life (SFL) is still trying make ‘abortion in the water’ happen. President Kristan Hawkins is asking members of the House Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing on the “Clean Water for All Life Act.” The legislation would require women who have miscarriages or abortions at home to use ‘catch kits’—collecting their pregnancy remains as medical waste. Flushing your pregnancy loss would be illegal.

As you know, SFL and a handful of other anti-abortion groups claim that Americans are all drinking abortions—that fetal remains and abortion pill remnants are making it into the nation’s drinking water, causing infertility.

Two new things on this tactic: In addition to infertility, SFL now claims that abortion pills in the water cause women to have miscarriages. And the organization is trying to get around the horror of mandating women use ‘catch kits’ by using language that focuses on providers. From their latest release:

“The legislation, focused on preventing Chemical Abortion Pill water pollution from tainting waterways, would require abortion vendors to provide and properly dispose of biohazard catch kits for every person they give Chemical Abortion Pills or be held liable for waterway contamination.”

That’s a whole lot of words to avoid saying that the law would force women to collect their own blood and bring it back to the doctor. The humiliation is the point, but they don’t want voters to know that.

In the States: Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, California & More

We’re still waiting to hear from the Idaho Secretary of State that abortion rights advocates have submitted enough verified signatures to get the issue on the ballot this November. We’ve seen all sorts of shitty shenanigans in other Republican-led states with the purpose of preventing voters from having a say—so I’m interested to see if that happens here.

In the meantime, I appreciated this quote in the Idaho Press from one of the ballot organizers—Suzanne Gallus, a 56-year-old Republican woman:

“I’m no stranger to reproductive health and childhood. In fact, I’ve been pregnant 12 times and know better than most the number of things that can and do go wrong over the course of a pregnancy. Pregnancy, just like life and faith and everything else, is complicated.”

Speaking of pregnancy being complicated: the new board chair of Planned Parenthood Illinois, Carolyn Moon, shared this story of her time volunteering at a Springfield clinic:

“I talked to a man in the parking lot who had brought his wife from Missouri. Their fetus was in distress and was not going to survive. But she personally was getting so sick and so ill. And her doctor in Missouri could not provide an abortion for her, even though she was in medical danger. He got her in the car, drove her to the Springfield health center and got her the lifesaving abortion she needed. It shouldn’t be that way. It shouldn’t be that hard.”

The defund provision of Trump’s budget bill may have expired, but that hasn’t stopped Indiana from preventing Planned Parenthood from getting Medicaid reimbursements. Thanks to a 2025 Supreme Court decision, states can defund reproductive healthcare clinics themselves—and Indiana officials are asking a court to allow them to do just that.

MirrorIndy has the full story, but the short version is that Republicans passed a law in 2011 that prohibits state funding to any organizations that provide abortions. That law was blocked—but SCOTUS’ Medina decision prompted Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office to get the block removed.

Jennifer Allen, CEO of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, says this is not about abortion—which is illegal in the state.

“It’s about whether people with low incomes get to see the provider they trust for essential health care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and wellness exams. State leaders have made a political decision to cut people off from care—at a time when Indiana’s health care safety net has already stretched to a breaking point.”

I’ll keep you updated as I learn more, or if the courts come down with a decision.

A new bill in California would require community colleges with health centers to offer abortion pills starting in 2029, LAist reports. California state colleges are already mandated to provide abortion medication in student health centers. From bill author Assemblymember Catherine Stefani:

“We are closing a critical gap by ensuring that community college students, one of the most diverse and economically vulnerable populations in our state, have the same access to care as their peers at four-year institutions.”

Community colleges would also be required to ensure that students know they can get abortion pills on campus—something that’s been an issue at California colleges in the past.

The only problem? Community colleges are battling with legislators over the expected cost. LAist reports that California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office estimated that implementing the legislation could cost close to $30 million in startup costs, then up to $9 million annually to maintain the services. (Stefani’s office says schools would get help via Medi-Cal reimbursement, insurance plans, and more.)

Here’s hoping they figure it out.

Quick hits:

• The Wichita Eagle reminds Kansas voters that the fight over how state Supreme Court justices get on the bench is all about abortion rights.

• Planned Parenthood affiliates in Southern California say it will take years to rebuild after a year under Trump’s “defund” provision;

• And Alabama Public Radio details the incredible work of our friends at West Alabama Women’s Center (now WAWC Healthcare)—and how they were able to expand with support from Melinda French Gates.

“A lot of people talk about wanting to make a difference in the world. I found that I was in an amazing and unique position to do that in a very tangible way, and that the work gets amplified. Every patient has a family and a community that is impacted by their presence. Being able to have that ripple effect is very powerful.”

- Calla Hales, CEO of A Preferred Women’s Health Centers, Cardinal & Pine

Ballot Box: Graham Platner, Anti-Abortion Endorsements & More

As you all know, Graham Platner pulled out of the U.S. Senate last night after a former girlfriend came forward about the Maine politician raping her in 2021. The accusations followed other troubling stories of mistreatment of women, sexist comments left online, and—of course—his Nazi tattoo.

The Guardian and POLITICO have lists of possible contenders to replace Platner—but they need to move fast. Election day is just four months away, and Maine law says that Platner’s replacement has to be chosen by July 27. Yesterday, the Maine Democratic Party said that they were making plans for a nominating convention.

If you missed my column on what got us in this mess in the first place, you can read it below. I also hosted a livestream this evening that I’ll be sharing clips from on AED’s social accounts.

The Platner Pattern

Meanwhile, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for Florida governor—so if you live in the state, you know who not to vote for! Donalds said he was “honored” to have the group’s support and promised to “keep Florida the most pro-family state in the country.”

SBA also endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy to be the next governor of Ohio, calling him “principled, compassionate and unafraid.” 🙄 What I remember most about Ramaswamy is when he tried to weaponize his wife’s miscarriage—using it to defend abortion bans during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Ramaswamy also attacked Kate Cox, the Texas woman whose story went viral when she couldn’t get an abortion despite having a dangerous and doomed pregnancy. He claimed—without evidence or ever having met or spoken to Cox—that her pregnancy was viable. So yeah, a real piece of shit.

Anti-abortion groups are pissed off that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey dropped a reference to abortion in her latest campaign ad. National Right to Life responded by claiming Healey doesn’t understand what voters care about, and that “abortion doesn’t even make the list.” It begs the question: why so mad, then? If Healey fundamentally misunderstands what voters are interested in, surely anti-abortion groups would be pleased and let her go on making grave campaign errors. 🤡

While we’re talking about campaign ads, Protect Our Wisconsin just released an ad slamming U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany for his extreme anti-choice record. Whoever chose this picture deserves a raise, because I was immediately reminded me of the “child catcher” from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Read My Tabs

• A new study found that the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision prompted women’s health care providers to become more politically engaged;

• Historian Erin Maglaque wrote about centuries of shifting attitudes on abortion rights (which have always been popular) and her own experiences with abortion;

• Ms. magazine details the anti-abortion movement’s escalating war on birth control, including by calling certain types of contraception ‘abortifacients’;

• Ballotpedia breaks down the abortion-related ballot measures heading to voters this November—with a graph that tells a clear story about the rise of pro-choice measures;

• And Amanda Zurawski has a must-read column at Common Dreams, reminding us that while “Republicans are publicly avoiding discussion of abortion ahead of November…wherever they are governing, they are actively fighting to take away our freedom to choose.”