Republicans struggle to find an answer to abortion | Morning Newsletter
And the blue wave across the state
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The Morning Newsletter
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Tuesday night was evidence that abortion rights continue to motivate voters at the polls since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to an abortion last year. The trend was present here in Pennsylvania, but was also showcased in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky.
It’s a large reason why Republican Carolyn Carluccio lost to Democrat Dan McCaffery in the marquee state Supreme Court race despite never sharing her personal beliefs on the subject throughout the campaign.
Our lead story explains why this is a warning sign for the state GOP.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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While on the campaign trail, Republican Carolyn Carluccio tried to avoid talking about abortion, saying her personal opinion didn’t matter and that she’d “uphold the law.”
That wasn’t enough in the swing state of Pennsylvania and she lost to Democrat Dan McCaffery by six points.
Democrats already held a 4-2 advantage so that balance on the court wasn’t at stake. Regardless, liberals’ campaign messaging successfully conveyed urgency on the abortion issue. Nearly $20 million was spent on the race and Democrats outspent Republicans by a little less than 2:1.
Keep in mind: Polling consistently shows that Americans think abortion should be legal in some or most cases and a record high number of voters now say the procedure should be legal in all cases.
After Tuesday’s losses, Republicans didn’t deny the issue is an ongoing weakness for them. They’ve struggled to rebuke attacks against them in races where abortion rights take center stage.
Keep reading to learn why they’re still optimistic about 2024.
Tuesday night was a good one for Pennsylvania Democrats.
Democrats won the state Supreme Court race, made history on both ends of the state, and swept in the Philly suburbs.
The wins built on the party’s successes in the 2022 midterms and echoed results of races across the country, where abortion rights motivated voters in swing and Republican-leaning states to look past frustration with the national Democratic Party.
Keep reading to understand what this means — and doesn’t mean — for next year’s presidential race.
What you should know today
After an unprecedented loss to the Working Families Party, the Philly GOP is doing some soul-searching.
David Oh appears to have garnered about 25% of the votes in the Philly mayor’s race. Although he didn’t come close to winning, he did better than any other Republican candidate in 20 years.
Ohio voted to protect abortion rights on Tuesday. And while abortion was also a winning issue for Pennsylvania Democrats in the state Supreme Court race, a similar effort won’t happen here.
From our Opinion desk, Germaine Fountain is the mother of a son who was addicted to heroin and lived on the streets of Kensington. She asked Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia’s mayor-elect, to not bring in National Guard to help shut down the neighborhood’s open-air drug market.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, community colleges fueled much of the undergraduate enrollment growth this year.
We have a list of restaurants opening soon in Philly from November through January.
New U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Pennsylvanians are moving to Florida at surging rates.
Pay for a wedding or a down payment on a house?
Or maybe ... get your wedding guests to pitch in for your future home?
Roughly 1 in 5 couples with registries on The Knot wedding planning website — nationally and in Pennsylvania and New Jersey — are asking guests for help paying for a home. The share of couples who include “home funds” on their registries has jumped 55% since 2018, according to The Knot.
Keep in mind: Purchasing a home has become less affordable with rising home prices and interest rates. This is especially true for first-time homebuyers with no proceeds from the sale of a previous home. Down payments and other up-front costs block renters from buying even if they can afford the monthly costs.
Meet the local couples who opted to put a home fund on their wedding registries.
🧠 Trivia time
What is the top amenity Philly-area renters want in their apartment?
A) Air-conditioning
B) Washer/dryer in unit
C) Dishwasher
D) Walk-in closets
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🍺Perusing: The inside of a mobile Irish pub.
💭Wondering: How many fans will buy the licensed replica of Princess Diana’s Eagles letterman jacket when it hits shelves today?
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: 🦅 + 🎷
ELENA JOCKS
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Email us if you know the answer. Cheers to Marissa Piña Rodríguez, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Christmas Village.
Photo of the day
That’s all I have for you this morning. I’m starting my day with a hot apple cider. Thanks for starting yours with The Inquirer.