ICYMI: Politico Article Examines 2024 Election Results Including Role of Planned Parenthood and Abortion in Key House Races
January 9, 2025
Shelby McMichael, Communications Manager
SACRAMENTO — In Politico last week, the article “‘You don’t get red-pilled overnight’: California’s political players explain what happened in 2024” by Melanie Mason, examined the 2024 election results and what played out in California, with three House seats flipped and one protected, especially compared to the national results.
The piece noted “POLITICO spoke to some of the most influential forces in California politics — including both state parties, Planned Parenthood and a leading expert on the state’s Latino voters — to share their initial take on the 2024 election results, and the questions that they’ve not yet answered.” Some of the big takeaways being:
California was a Bright Spot
The article points out that, “California was a rare bright spot for national Democrats, who delighted in ousting three sitting GOP members of Congress and holding a toss-up vacant seat, contributing to a razor-thin Republican majority that will guarantee headaches for Speaker Mike Johnson.”
Planned Parenthood’s Campaign Efforts Focused on Republicans’ Anti-Abortion Records and it Worked
In the section including comments from Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Mason points out that “Planned Parenthood California is pushing back on the narrative that a campaign centered on reproductive rights was entirely a disappointment” and notes that “Planned Parenthood California spent $3.5 million on ‘connecting the dots,’ making sure voters were aware about these Republicans’ past records on opposing abortion rights.”
Exit Poll Confirms Abortion was a Top Issue
The article also talks about an exit poll commissioned by Capitol Weekly which “found that in three of the biggest House wins for Democrats — ousting incumbent GOP Reps. Mike Garcia and Michelle Steel and holding the toss-up Orange County seat left vacant by outgoing Democratic Rep. Katie Porter — abortion was the top issue for voters who sided with the Democratic candidate.”
The article goes on to say that “the poll by Paul Mitchell of CA120 found that abortion rights was particularly motivating for certain non-Democrats who ended up backing the Democratic contender. It was the top issue for independents who voted for Democrat Derek Tran over Steel and for 50 percent of Republicans who voted for Democrat George Whitesides over Garcia.”
In May, PPAC VOTES launched a statewide, seven-figure electoral campaign, “We Decide CA," targeting the dangerous anti-abortion agenda of eight competitive Congressional House races in California. The independent expenditure included a website, digital ads, direct mail, and texting, as well as voter mobilization in coordination with Battleground California.
Read more about the campaign effort by PPAC VOTES here.
###