(The Center Square) – Indiana’s Democratic candidate governor is hoping her stance on abortion rights will help her to an upset in next month’s election.
As Jennifer McCormick unveiled her plan this week, she admitted it faces several hurdles, including the state’s current law that restricts abortion in almost all cases that the Republican-led General Assembly passed last year. However, if elected next month, she would call on the Indiana Department of Health to review the law and find ways to increase access.
McCormick hopes her plan will spur those supporting reproductive rights to vote for her, although a survey released last week showed her trailing by more than 8 points.
“This election is a referendum on abortion rights in Indiana,” McCormick said. “I trust women and their healthcare providers to make the best decisions for their health, and it’s time we bring common sense and balance back to our state policies.”
In a recent ActiVote survey, she trailed U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, the Republican candidate, by 8.4 percentage points. That poll, based on 400 likely voters with a 4.9% margin of error, showed McCormick was leading 57-43 among women and 52-48 in suburban areas. However, Braun had a 2-to-1 lead among male voters and a 61-39 edge among rural Hoosiers. He also leads by 20 or more points with independent voters as well as all voters between the ages of 18-29 and 50-64.
Besides taking executive action, McCormick also said she would call on the legislature to allow citizens to call for ballot initiatives. Such a move could lead to a repeal of the current law, similar to how Ohio voters passed a pro-choice measure last year.
Other aspects of McCormick’s plan include emphasizing funding for reproductive health services in her state budget and encouraging state regulators to help providers comply with state guidelines rather than push for enforcement actions. She’d also seek to appoint pro-choice individuals to important policy-setting panels, such as the state’s medical licensing board.
Braun has defended the state’s current law, saying during a debate last week that legislation represents the will of the voters and works well.
While Braun appears to have a comfortable lead in the polls, the Center for Politics recently changed the Indiana gubernatorial race from a “safe” Republican to “likely.” It still means Braun is favored, but the center at the University of Virginia made the change, noting that this year’s race is far more competitive than 2020’s, when current Gov. Eric Holcomb defeated Democratic challenger Woody Myers by more than 24 percentage points.
The race between Braun and McCormick is more competitive than other states where Republicans are expected to win, wrote J. Miles Coleman, the center’s associate editor, on Wednesday.
“Put a bit differently, Indiana seems to be emerging as Democrats’ best red state offensive opportunity, so it seems to merit a position at the edge of the playing field, even as Braun remains clearly favored,” Coleman explained.