Minimizing government intervention. Safeguarding individual liberties.

Monica Tranel, a candidate for Congress, believes that focusing on these principles is gaining her support among voters in Montana’s conservative district.

However, Tranel, a 58-year-old attorney, is a Democrat, and she is engaging with conservative constituents about abortion rights.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago—the pivotal ruling that protected abortion rights—Democrats have experienced a series of electoral victories. Candidates from the left benefited from discussions around reproductive rights during the 2022 midterm elections, and recent state ballot measures favoring abortion access have seen voter approval.

As Democrats campaign on this emotionally charged issue, many are highlighting the importance of liberty and limited government—values typically associated with conservative leaders.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the leading Democratic candidate after President Joe Biden stepped back from the race, described her campaign as “a struggle for freedom.” Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has reinforced this message.

“In Minnesota, we value our neighbors and respect their personal decisions,” Walz told the audience in Chicago at the Democratic national convention.

“Even if we might not choose the same paths for ourselves,” he added, “we adhere to a principle: Mind your own business.”

Since joining the Harris campaign, Walz has worked to clarify Democrats’ interpretation of “freedom.”

“Some of us can remember when Republican leaders spoke about freedom,” Walz remarked at a recent rally in Philadelphia. “But now it seems that their version of freedom includes letting the government breach the sanctity of your doctor’s office.”

Meanwhile, Republicans are contending with internal disagreements regarding federal versus state-level restrictions on abortion and the appropriate time limits.

Abortion remains a critical issue energizing both parties and is likely to significantly influence the upcoming 2024 election, the first presidential election post-Roe.

With this context in mind, candidates like Tranel are carefully targeting moderate and undecided voters, whose choices may largely revolve around this contentious issue.

Democrats Adopt Conservative Rhetoric on Abortion

Michelle Vallejo, a Democrat running for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, recalls her campaign experience at a county fair earlier this year, where a voter challenged her stance on abortion rights.

“I explained to him, ‘You know, we actually have much in common,’” Vallejo, 33, told YSL News. “We are both proud Texans, and we cherish our freedoms. Defending women’s reproductive choices aligns with that vision of freedom.”

Like Tranel, Vallejo is working to win over moderate and even conservative voters by discussing limited government—something they associate with conservative principles.

“And he responded by saying he found that appealing,” Vallejo shared.

A recent poll by KFF, a nonprofit health policy institute, revealed that 50% of Republican women support legalizing abortion in most circumstances. Furthermore, younger Republican women, aged 18 to 49, often identify as “pro-choice.”

While 55% of Republican women prefer their party’s stance on women’s issues, 11% believe Democrats would handle it better, and 34% feel neither party represents their views well.

“Voters aren’t driven purely by policy,” remarked Peter Loge, a professor and director at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs.

“We often think we’re making informed, rational decisions,” he stated. “However, we tend to vote based on emotions, ideas, and the visions that shape policy.”

Republicans Propose “Commonsense Solutions” on Abortion

In predominantly red states, Democrats are adopting strategies similar to conservatives by focusing on reducing government size and promoting personal liberty in discussions about abortion. Their aim is to attract voters away from the traditional Republican base.

Loge commented, “This framing creates a distinction. If Democrats advocate for freedom, it implies Republicans do not. While Republicans also champion freedom, the message suggests that Democrats represent freedom, leaving Republicans on the opposite side.”

Republicans have dismissed this as a “ridiculous claim.”

“The sensitive and personal issue of abortion is being utilized by Democrats as a divisive tool to create rifts among New Mexicans,” stated Yvette Herrell, a former congresswoman and current Republican candidate in southwest New Mexico, in a statement to YSL News.

Herrell further expressed, “Even though we may have differing views on complex issues like abortion, I believe we can engage respectfully while collaborating to lower living costs, secure our borders, and tackle crime—tasks that our current congressman has failed to address.”

On her campaign website, Herrell highlights “common-sense solutions” and “shared values.” In her values section, she emphasizes her commitment to “curtail government intrusion in our lives and safeguard the hardworking families of New Mexico.”

Herrell’s campaign site also features an opinion piece she wrote in May discussing her stance on abortion.

“First and foremost, I am pro-life,” Herrell stated. “As a Christian, I believe that every human life is a sacred gift from God.”

However, she mentioned that she supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life is at risk.

While the left strongly advocates for reproductive rights, many candidates and lawmakers on the right are equally passionate about the topic, despite being generally more cautious about placing abortion at the forefront.

New York Republican and congressional hopeful Alison Esposito identifies abortion as the second of nine “key issues” on her campaign site.

“Like the majority of Americans, Alison believes in pragmatic exceptions and has NEVER supported a federal ban on abortion,” states Esposito’s website. “She feels that abortion should be performed safely, infrequently, and not utilized as a birth control method.”

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., expresses a similar viewpoint on her reelection platform: “Jen believes we should approach this matter with compassion, common sense, and consensus,” her issues page reveals.

Both Kiggans and Esposito did not reply to multiple requests for comments.

Voters Ready to React

Typically, abortion is not the primary concern voters mention when Tranel canvasses the western regions of Montana. Instead, she noted that initial conversations focus on financial struggles and housing issues.

“However, if you ask them what issues might lead them to change their vote, this topic emerges as the pivotal issue,” Tranel said.

This sentiment is shared across political lines in places like Arizona. Congressional candidate Kirsten Engel mentioned that independents, an essential voting group in the Grand Canyon State, express a desire for reproductive care decisions to remain personal.

<p“Among the most common feedback I receive is that these choices should not be influenced by politics,” Engel remarked. “Such decisions are deeply personal, complex, and critical to healthcare. They cannot be simplified into a rigid rule.”

Nevertheless, Loge pointed out that Republicans have their own strengths in the debate over rights and liberties.

“The focus isn’t merely on who seeks to limit freedom,” he elaborated. “It’s about which freedoms are relevant in which contexts, and who gets to shape that narrative.”