Democrats hope abortion issue will offset doubts about Biden in Michigan

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Two women campaigning for President Joe Biden after facing medical emergencies because of abortion restrictions in their states visited Michigan on Tuesday to highlight what they say are the risks to women’s health since federal abortion protections were overturned.

Democrats are aiming to make abortion rights a central issue in the 2024 election in the battleground state, hoping it will appeal to undecided voters and some members of the party who don’t like how Biden has handled the Israel-Hamas war.

“For all of us across the country, in all 50 states, our rights are on the line this election,” said Amanda Zurawski, a Texas woman who went into premature labor, developed sepsis and nearly died after she was initially refused an abortion.

By her side Tuesday in Lansing was Kaitlyn Joshua, a Louisiana woman who said restrictive abortion laws prevented her from getting medical help for a miscarriage.

Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a citizen-led ballot initiative that codified abortion rights in the state’s constitution in the 2022 midterms after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade. The ballot initiative sparked record turnout, particularly among young voters, leading to Democrats’ largest gains in decades.

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