There are three primary takeaways from this year’s midterm elections:
- This was a political defeat, not an ideological realignment. Pro-life voters did not suddenly become pro-abortion. Many simply stayed home, while other issues dominated the election.
- The numbers reveal a serious problem. Americans still favor legal abortion by a substantial margin. The pro-life movement has significant work to do to persuade the public.
- The answer is to fight harder. Double down, do not retreat. Pro-lifers must become more persuasive, more strategic, and more committed to changing hearts and minds.
The midterms were brutal for many pro-life candidates.
There can be no sugar coating it. While there are a few causes for celebration, like the pro-life victory in Idaho, this was not a good cycle for life.
Virginia passed a radical pro-abortion constitutional amendment, as did Nevada. In Missouri, pro-life Amendment 3 was effectively blown out of the water. At the federal level, pro-life candidates suffered significant losses. At the state level, even Texas elected a pro-abortion governor.
But I likely don’t need to remind anyone of those details.
This was a historically bad midterm cycle for the GOP. So, what does that mean for life?
The good news is that this resounding defeat was NOT a referendum on the pro-life position. Exit polling indicates that abortion was not the primary driving factor for voters in this cycle.
Issues like the economy, corruption, the war in Iran, and immigration dramatically outshined the debate over abortion. In the 2022 midterms, the pro-life cause was assigned blame by some in government and media. This time, that is not the case.
However, according to NBC News’ 2026 Midterm Exit Polls, when asked, 64% of voters said abortion should be legal, while 36% said it should be illegal.
These numbers closely track the 2022 ABC midterm exit polls on abortion which saw about 60% of respondents say abortion should be legal and 37% say it should be illegal.
While exit polling should be taken with a grain of salt, these numbers do not paint a pretty picture. Abortion may not have been the primary driving factor of this election, but the stats show we have serious work to do. Americans at the ballot box preferred legal abortion by 28 points this cycle. In the world of elections, that is a massive margin.
Regardless, data shows this was not a political realignment election on the issue of life. Pro-life voters did not change their minds and become pro-abortion en masse.
Our friend, Professor Michael New, analyzed Missouri voter data:
Missouri Abortion Ballot Questions
2024:
Pro-Life Votes: 1,443,022
Pro-Abortion Votes: 1,538,659
2026:
Pro-Life Votes: 970,804
Pro-Abortion Votes: 1,178,084
“The votes are there for a pro-life victory. If pro-lifers had shown up in 2026 the way we did in 2024 – we win!”
The issue in this election was turnout. Too many Republican voters, who are largely pro-life, stayed home. Exit polling indicates that this had more to do with outside factors than it did with abortion.
I say again, the midterms were not an ideological flip where millions of pro-lifers became pro-abortion.
Regardless, the fight ahead is one for the hearts and minds of the nation. That exit polling data shows we have a lot of work to do.
If we are going to change people’s minds on abortion, we need to fight harder, argue more persuasively, and be smarter than the abortion lobby.
What happened in this election cycle hurt. Babies will die as a result. The answer is not to retreat. The only way out is through.
My old boxing coach would no doubt say, “you need to bite down on your mouthpiece, clear your head, and fight smart.”
If these election results upset you, that’s good. They should. The only question now is what will you do about it?
We are making a real difference. If you have been receiving our monthly impact reports, you already know that. Now is the time to double down. I invite you to renew and expand your commitment to the fight for life. Join us with your time, talent, and treasure.
There is much work to be done.
Defending Life,
Victor Nieves
President, Life Issues Institute
Leave a Reply