I am a suburban mom who lives in Southeast Pennsylvania. I am part of the demographic that continues to be a major influence in elections. I am pro-choice and have been pro-choice my entire adult life. Before covid, I was similar to the rest of the demographic in that I was typically a single-issue voter. Abortion access was more important to me than most other issues. Over the last three and half years, I realized the error in my thinking. I am still pro-choice, but I understand that there are other issues to take into consideration.
The hardcore progressives were successful this election cycle inciting fear and panic among the demographic of suburban women. These single issue voters ignored important issues to vote solely on the alleged fear of losing rights. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court judicial race was a red herring used by the Democrats to compel women to vote.
And vote, they did. Turnout in the collar counties was higher than the 2021 general election. Chester County voter turnout went from 38.83 percent in 2019 to 42.35 percent in 2023. Montgomery and Delaware Counties also had a higher turnout, and Bucks County had a 42.4 percent turnout this cycle.
While we don’t specifically know the breakdown of the increases, we do know that Democratic candidates swept across the region from the top of the ballot to the bottom. I believe this is attributable to the abortion issue based on the results and my anecdotal evidence from working the polls for school board candidates. There were questions from voters about the school board candidates’ views on abortion.
It is truly disconcerting how uninformed the electorate is. Apparently, voters in one of the most educated counties in the state do not understand that school board candidates have absolutely no authority over state abortion laws. Even more concerning, most voters in suburban Philadelphia do not understand that the Supreme Court judicial race had practically no bearing on abortion laws.
I believe that most voters have never read the Pennsylvania abortion law. A summary of the laws on the Department of Health’s website explains that abortions are legal in the state up to 23 weeks and there are allowable exceptions past that point. Nothing has changed since the Dobbs ruling in Pennsylvania, and the reality is that nothing is going to change.
Prior to Tuesday’s election, the State Supreme Court makeup was four Democrats and two Republicans. With the Democratic win, the court will remain a Democrat majority 5-2. However, even if the Republicans picked up the seat, the Democrats would have maintained the majority. Furthermore, the likelihood of the Supreme Court striking down the 1982 state law is unbelievably low.
Therefore, all this rhetoric and fear inducing messaging was nothing more than a bait and switch tactic. And the highly educated suburban women fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
So the Democrats got the vote out on this issue, and the school board races were dramatically impacted across the region. Based on the results, voters were more concerned about the right to terminate a hypothetical fetus than they were about the academic achievement of actual children right now. And that right was never in question in the first place. Voters chose to vote for an issue that wasn’t really at stake at the expense of voting to ensure our students’ rights to a quality education.
I am not naive enough to think that abortion was the only issue impacting school board elections, but it was a big part of the outcome. Similar to the debacle we witnessed last year in the gubernatorial race, abortion is a big deal not just for Democrats, but also independents and moderate Republicans.
Most school board races in the region handed landslide victories to Democratic candidates, flipping many boards to their majority. Gains made two years ago were lost. The Democratic candidates, by and large, are more concerned with focusing on “soft skills” in school than improving academic achievement. They like to talk about equity and inclusion, but rather than leveling the playing field with ensuring every child can read, they focus on issues unrelated to academic achievement.
The results from this election continue to demonstrate that the GOP is in the midst of a full blown crisis. How many more elections do they need to lose before they get the message? Abortion is a decision between a woman and her doctor. Personally, I do not think the government should be involved at all, and that includes paying for it.
There are so many problems facing our communities that desperately need to be addressed, but Republicans will never get the chance to address those issues if they continue down the same losing path. Unless the GOP wakes up, there will be no need to hold a presidential election in Pennsylvania. We will simply hand Biden the nineteen electoral votes on a silver platter.
Beth Ann Rosica resides in West Chester, has a Ph.D. in Education, and has dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of at-risk children and families. She covers education issues for Broad + Liberty. Contact her at barosica@broadandliberty.com.
Nope. Voters rejected Moms 4 Liberty and the entire parents’ rights platform. Municipal voters are some of the most informed; these aren’t like only every 4 year’s presidential voters. They know damn well abortion doesn’t have anything to do with school board races. They don’t like book bans, they know there’s no porn in schools and Back to Basics is a very uninspiring platform. And I don’t know how you’re surprised by this because the same was true in 2021 when locally Dems also won almost every SB race.
Do you care to explain why one of your candidates from the state you managed misrepresented himself at the polls as a Democrat?
Blaming school board losses on the abortion issue is patently hilarious. At least in the WCASD the B2B candidates got smoked because of its ties to people like Ada and Beth. Until you realize that, your preferred candidates aren’t going to win another election in Chester County.
As much as you want to say people rejected the parents rights platform, Jenn, polling showed people agreed with positions that rejected the lgbtq crap the left is slinging. Most people – 70%+ are tired of the woke rap and want kids to just learn — because they arent.
People just hate Republicans and Trump that much more.
I understand complaints about Republicans because in some cases they are valid. But to act like voters are informed or making good decisions by electing Democrats as an alternative right now is preposterous.
Look at Dems. How many have had to resign from Shapiro? Menendez? Biden’s investigation? Commissioner Harvey admitting he was under investigation and not filing his campaign finance form? The left’s current militant wing targeting Jews and supporting Hamas? How many of those teachers wearing Trans flags and getting caught with child porn are registered Republicans? I could go on and on about the chickens coming home to roost and we see the long term policy implications of open borders, spending sprees from failed monetary policies, covid vaccine myocarditis and health risks and masking vilification on a national scale with no accountability.
Dems don’t get held accountable for much, but that doesn’t make them right. Just unaccountable.
Please spare me and all readers your comments overflowing with lack of self awareness.
Trump sucks. His sycophants suck. But the Dems are burning this country down while vilifying people who disagree and just want to be left alone
Cool story Dung! I do hope Rs take your stats to heart and continue to run on this super popular platform. Keep up on sticking it to us woke folks!!! Working so far!!!
Typical snarky comment that comes with no accountability for anything you do or say. A symptom of the state of politics.
Do as I say, not as I do. What does anything really matter when what matters is winning because that’s what makes someone right.
Your comments suck and are unintelligent. Be better. Hold yourself to a higher standard.
If you hadn’t noticed, things are really bad. Maybe you should be more concerned about the success of Western Civ., your neighbors, and less about the success of a political party and elected officials who don’t give a crap about you.
That means literally nothing to me coming from a guy on the internet named Dung. Guess what? I think you suck and your comments suck. So what??? I don’t agree and you could definitely stand to look in the mirror
Do you actually believe that the tiny fraction of people who even read this sit there and say “wow that Dung is so smart. Someday I hope to live up to his standards. His intelligence really made me change my views.” No one cares, Dung!! Thanks for another laugh!
Dung,
Your name… is dung. Yet, I do think you’re smart – I just disagree with many of your points. Someday I hope to live up to your standards of intelligence. Your intelligence really makes me questions my views – and for that, I thank you.
Jenn,
You’re also smart. I noticed you made 5 out of 9 comments… so far. This comment section is a precise representation of the bogus mail-in voting process:
2 people (Dung and Sweeney – 50%) and 2 people (Jenn and Jason McAfee – 50%) disagree. Jenn and Jason “won” because they represent 66.67% (6 of 9) of the comments.
Masks were dumb. Very, very dumb. mRNA is not a vaccine it is gene therapy that has risks for young people – specifically young boys. Mail-in voting is corrupt.
I agree schools were closed too long and masks were on the kids too long. But blaming school board loses on abortion when the real issue is people like Beth is preposterous. Believe it or not, I’d like a more equal school board. But no way am I voting for candidates whose biggest supporters sued the school board for performing medical experiments on kids…or whatever. Look in the mirror Beth. You (and people like Ada) are the reason B2B lost. Fact.
I would stand in line in a blizzard with no shoes on to vote AGAINST the laughable gaslighters “Moms for Liberty”. Moms for Liberty claim parents have no rights. In my school district they ALWAYS had total control over their own children’s education. If a parent didn’t want their kid to learn sex ed. – no problem. They could opt their child out of that class or discussion. If a parent doesn’t want their child to take the PSSA’s – the child can read or work in the hallway and not take the test. Parents can opt their child out of anything. Mom’s for Liberty wants total control of what MY child can learn based on their religious and MAGA political beliefs. They want to erase black history because it offends them. That’s why Republicans LOST. And abortion didn’t help! Republicans are the party of NO RIGHTS for women!
It goes to show you that women were so scared of losing their rights to kill their unborn, children relinquishing them from any responsibility that they failed to pay attention to any of the other much more pressing issues In november 2023. When voting for candidates, you cannot vote based on one issue. But on the whole platform that the candidate is running on. There are times that certain issues are not even voted on for months. Even a year or more into a candidate’s term Or even after a candidate may be voted out of office.
The women got fed a big giant portion of bs and ate it with a knife. And fork and went back for seconds.