A resounding victory for abortion rights in Kansas is bolstering Democrats' confidence that the issue will help them win close midterm races in several key states.

The big picture: Tuesday night’s results — an 18-point loss for a proposal to strip abortion rights out of the state's constitution — yielded new evidence that abortion can push swing voters toward Democrats and mobilize the liberal base.

• Abortion now often ranks as the second most important issue in national polls, after economic concerns. It has particular resonance in battleground states where access hangs in the balance.

What they're saying: In Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for Senate, used the Kansas vote as an new avenue to attack his GOP rival Mehmet Oz, who opposes abortion rights.

• “Here in Pennsylvania, Republicans want to do the same thing radical GOP politicians attempted to do in Kansas," Fetterman said. “I will protect abortion rights. Dr. Oz will take them away. It’s that simple.”
• President Biden, who issued an executive order Wednesday to protect people's ability to travel out of their home states to access abortion, said Kansas' voters had sent a "powerful signal" for November.

The big picture: Democrats are confident that Republicans who take the most hardline positions on abortion — like banning the procedure even in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger — will face a political backlash.

• In the Pennsylvania governor's race,...

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