Alvin M. Keeling 
The Kansas results suggest that threats to reproductive rights can energize Democrats in ways few political leaders can, and that voters will support freedom of choice when given the chance. Still, some Democrats worry about hoping too much.
CNN: What the Kansas abortion surprise means (and doesn’t mean) for November
Given the possibility of supporting abortion rights, even in a reliable Republican state in the center of the country, voters will support abortion rights. That’s the unexpected and consequential lesson of Tuesday’s Kansas primary. (Wolf, 8/3)
The New York Times: How Democrats View Abortion Politics After Kansas Vote
A breakthrough vote to uphold abortion rights in deeply conservative Kansas on Wednesday rippled across the midterm campaign landscape, galvanizing Democrats and underscoring for Republicans the risks of going too far on the bill. one of the most emotionally charged topics in American politics. (Glueck and Goldmacher, 8/3)
AP: Kansas abortion vote sparks new hope for midterm Democrats
The Kansas vote suggests abortion-rights threats can energize Democrats like few political leaders can. And it comes at a time when the party is gaining momentum on other fronts, including a package of legislation to lower prescription drug prices, tackle climate change and raise corporate taxes. The challenge for Democrats will be to sustain the energy for several more months and defy the trends that typically trip up the ruling party. (Peoples, 8/4)
The New York Times: In Kansas, support for abortion rights isn’t just coming from the usual places
DeAnn Hupe Seib is a practicing, fiscally conservative Republican from rural Kansas. When faced with a ballot question on whether the right to abortion should be removed from her state constitution, she voted no. So did his home, Jefferson County, which favored Donald J. Trump by a 32-point margin in 2020 and had abortions to save their lives,” said 63-year-old Ms. Hupe Seib, lawyer. “So it’s a very real issue for me, and I know it can be again.” (Smith, Fox and Dias, 8/3)
The Washington Post: How Kansas organizers defeated the abortion referendum
When abortion rights organizer Jae Gray sent canvassers to suburban Kansas City for the state’s upcoming referendum, they armed them with talking points aimed at all voters — not just liberals. “We definitely used messaging strategies that would work regardless of party affiliation,” said Gray, a field organizer for Kansans for Constitutional Freedom. “We believe that every Kansan has the right to make personal health care decisions without excess from the government – this is obviously a pro-conservative talking point. We weren’t just talking to Democrats. (Gowen, 8/3)
How might Kansas’ vote affect Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan or Montana? —
Dispatch from Columbus: What does Kansas’ abortion vote mean for a future Ohio amendment?
Voters in the red state of Kansas easily rejected an effort to remove abortion protections from the state Constitution in the nation’s first test of how Americans would react to the overthrow of Roe v. Wade. This has caught the attention of Ohioans who want to enshrine abortion access in the state Constitution, bypassing the GOP-controlled legislature and its restrictions on procedure. (Balmert, 8/4)
Politico: Kansas landslide fuels abortion rights movement’s next fights
As the dust cleared from the Kansas vote on Wednesday, Progressives were already urging members of like-minded Facebook groups to help collect signatures to bring an abortion rights amendment to Missouri voters in 2023. “Some of these places you might think are so deeply red that no measure to protect abortion could ever succeed,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project. No matter where you live, there is hope on the horizon.(Ollstein, 8/3)
The Hill: Why Kansas is giving abortion rights advocates reason for optimism in November
In Kentucky, residents will be asked to weigh in on a state constitutional amendment that says, “Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to guarantee or protect any right to abortion or to require the funding of abortion.” In Michigan, residents will vote on a ballot measure that would amend the state’s constitution, protecting the right to make choices on reproductive issues such as contraception and abortion. In Montana, there is also a ballot measure that would require infants born as a result of attempted abortion to receive medical care. (Vakil and Kruzel, 8/3)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news outlets. Sign up for an email subscription.
