Election 2022: Abortion is central in 1st post-Roe primaries
DENVER (AP) The midterm primary season enters a new, more volatile phase on Tuesday as voters participate in the first elections since the U.S. Supreme Courts decision revoking a womans constitutional right to an abortion jolted the nations politics.
In Colorados Republican U.S. Senate primary, voters are choosing between businessman Joe ODea and state Rep. Ron Hanks. ODea backs a ban on late-term abortions but is otherwise the rare Republican who supports most abortion rights. Hanks backs a ban on the procedure in all cases.
Meanwhile, in the Republican race for governor in Illinois, Darren Bailey, a farmer endorsed by former President Donald Trump over the weekend, wants to end the states right to abortion except for instances in which the mothers life is in danger. He doesnt support exceptions for rape or incest. His opponent, Richard Irvin, the first Black mayor of Aurora, has said he would allow abortions in instances of rape, incest or when the mothers life is at risk.
Both races are unfolding in states where abortion remains legal. Democrats have sought to elevate both Hanks and Bailey, betting that they have a better chance of winning the fall campaign if theyre competing against Republicans they could portray as extreme. In Colorado, Democrats have spent more than $2 million boosting Hanks candidacy. In Illinois, the sums have been vastly higher, with Democrats spending at least $16 million against Irvin and to boost Bailey as the nominee against Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterms-colorado-illinois-updates-01f89314cca7a8671bef1f7637e5be7b