At least on paper, Democrats face a bleak outlook for the 2024 election in increasingly red Ohio.
The party’s U.S. Senate majority relies on Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) pulling out another improbable victory. Their chances for a U.S. House majority will rise or fall on whether three battleground incumbents can defend their seats. And for the first time in decades, the state will not be a presidential election battleground, leaving Ohio Democrats on their own.
But it’s now clear that Democrats have a unique and powerful political edge in Ohio that will ensure they are competitive: abortion rights—and Ohio Republicans’ determination to restrict them no matter how clearly the state’s voters tell them not to.