A majority of likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers say they are more likely to back a candidate who supports limiting abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions, an August Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll found.
More than half (54 percent) say they are “more likely to favor a candidate” who supports a 15-week federal minimum restriction on abortion, compared to 24 percent who say they are “less likely.” Twenty percent say such a position “would not matter,” and two percent are unsure, the survey found. More survey respondents were male (61 percent) than female (39 percent).
How the pro-life movement should proceed is a point of contention among Republicans nationwide. Some view abortion as a “losing issue” and point to GOP failures in the 2022 midterms, successful pro-abortion ballot initiatives, and the spending power of angry Democrats and the abortion lobby moving into 2024. Democrats have already indicated they will use what they view as “anti-abortion extremism” to paint their Republican opponents as out-of-step with voters, especially women.
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Others, as well as national pro-life organizations, view federal legislation as the next step in a larger plan to limit abortions in the United States and look at the reelection of pro-life governors and the passage (pre and post-Dobbs) of pro-life legislation in 25 states as evidence of progress to come.
Leading pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America has repeatedly advised Republicans to go on offense about abortion — rather than applying “the ostrich strategy” — by pointing to the Democrats’ collective refusal to support any limit on abortion, including late-term abortions. The organization is spearheading the push for at least a 15-week minimum federal abortion restriction and has called on GOP presidential candidates to support such a measure as a condition of receiving its influential endorsement.
“It’s possible that we would endorse a candidate, but it’s also possible that we won’t, and we have a very bright line that hasn’t changed, and you must communicate your federal minimum standards,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said on an August 15 press call, adding that candidates must disclose how they would “reign in the extremes of California and Illinois and New York — abortion up to the end.”
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C-SPANSeveral Republican presidential candidates have indicated they would be willing to sign such legislation, including former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. Others, including businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, have conversely contended that abortion should remain a states’ issue.
RELATED: Here’s Where Republican Presidential Candidates Stand on Abortion
The survey additionally questioned likely GOP Iowa caucusgoers about a heartbeat bill that recently passed in the state limiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, or a medical emergency. The law is currently tied up in court, meaning abortion is still legal for up to 20 weeks in the state.
“Iowa has passed a ‘fetal heartbeat’ law on abortion that bans the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, or in the case of a medical emergency. Do you think this approach puts [too many restrictions] on abortion access, [too few restrictions], or gets it about right?” the survey question reads.
Nearly 60 percent of respondents (58 percent) say the fetal heartbeat law “gets it about right,” while 30 percent say the approach puts “too many restrictions” on abortion. Nine percent say the six-week limit is not restrictive enough, and three percent are “not sure.”
When asked if they identify with certain words and phrases, 80 percent of respondents say they are “pro-life,” 55 percent are “devoutly religious,” and 71 percent identify as “traditional conservative.” The survey was conducted with 406 respondents at a ±4.9 percent margin of error.
