Role abortion rights played on Election Day: Underestimated by GOP or overstated by Democrats?

Both the GOP and Democrats overstated the importance of abortion rights on Election Day. Exit polls indicated that while abortion was an important factor for some voters, the majority of voters’ decisions were based on other issues such as the economy, healthcare, foreign policy, and even President Trump’s character. Still, both parties can point to examples of races in which abortion rights had an impact on the outcome. Democrats, for example, attribute many victories in New York, Virginia, and other states to the enthusiasm of women voters fired up by incumbents’ stances on the issue. Meanwhile, Republican House losses in suburban districts and their failure to gain Senate seats in Nevada and Arizona could be partially attributed to their opposition to abortion rights.