The votes are counted, the Republican bloodbath is real, and now Democrats have to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Drs. Kristin Lyerly, Erin Stevens, and Chris Ford break down election night from the intersection of healthcare and politics, and they ask what Democrats owe voters now that they have the power.
We start with abortion on the ballot, where three of four state measures went the right direction. Nevada, Virginia, and Missouri all passed protections, but Idaho voters rejected reform even as the state loses over a third of its OB-GYNs. We dig into confusing ballot language, dark money, and the disinformation campaigns that shape these votes.
Then it’s time for some accountability. Susan Collins’s long Senate career is over, Roger Marshall and Bill Cassidy are out, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack ad on Amy Acton backfired in Ohio. Michele Tafoya’s “pro-choice Republican” campaign fell flat in Minnesota, and Ken Paxton is soon to be former Texas attorney general.
It was also a historic year for doctors. Annie Andrews, Abdul El-Sayed, and Amy Acton are among the physicians and public health voices headed to office, and we note a record number of doctors in the House. We discuss what it means to have medical expertise in state houses from Iowa to Arizona to Florida.
We also celebrate a wave of women in power. Allie Phillips flipped a Tennessee House seat after being denied abortion care for a fatal fetal anomaly. Peggy Flanagan becomes the first Indigenous U.S. senator. Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes Georgia’s first Black woman governor, and Texas elects its first Latina governor and a new attorney general who says he’ll stop weaponizing abortion laws.
Now comes the hard part. With Democrats holding 22 trifectas, it’s time to play offense by repealing waiting periods and TRAP laws, pursuing public option and rural hospital proposals, and codifying reproductive rights. But voters are hurting, and the GOP’s dark money machine isn’t going anywhere. Democrats need to show people what they’re doing and make clear which healthcare cuts are Republican policies already passed, or the wins could be squandered before 2028.
LINKS
The Guardian: Reproductive rights protected in several states by midterm election ballot measures
NPR: Tennessee law denied Allie Phillips an abortion. So she’s now running for office
Clarksville Now: ‘My door will always be open’: Phillips flips state House District 75 seat to Democrat
Alliance for Justice Action: Susan Collins Lost Her Senate Seat Because She Put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court
The Minnesota Star Tribune: Tafoya and Flanagan clash over what it means to be ‘pro-choice’
NPR: It was a big night for doctors to win seats in Congress, riding the blue wave
NPR: Adam Hamilton becomes the first Democratic senator from Kansas in nearly a century
TIME: Democrat Amy Acton Defeats Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio Governor’s Race
The Guardian: Democrat Annie Andrews flips South Carolina Senate seat held by Republicans since 1998
The Guardian: Progressive Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race to become first Muslim US senator
FORTUNE: What The Historic Wins For Women In The Midterms Mean For Society
The Texas Tribune: Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson says he won’t sue out-of-state doctors who mail abortion pills to Texas
ABORTION, EVERY DAY: Oklahoma’s Next Gov. Wants to Jail Abortion Patients
MinnPost: Minnesota, Wisconsin among at least 5 states where Democrats earned new trifectas
WisPolitics: Dems say they will repeal 1849 abortion law, expand reproductive rights with trifecta
FOLLOW THE DOCS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Dr Kristin Lyerly (@drkristinlyerly)
Dr Erin Stevens (@erinstevensmdobgyn)
Dr Chris Ford (@doc_4ord)
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