Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (left) is linking abortion rights with the long-term economic health of the state and the ability of employers to attract talent. | Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
10/30/2022 07:00 AM EDT
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has an answer for Democrats at odds over whether to emphasize abortion rights or the economy in the campaign’s final days: the two issues are one and the same.
With recent polls showing economic stress outranking abortion concerns, the embattled Democratic governor is making a pitch to voters and business owners: If they reelect her and pass a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, she can lure employers and workers from neighboring states where anti-abortion laws have taken effect since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June.
“I’m going to be working to draw investment into Michigan once we lock women’s rights into law,” Whitmer said in an interview. “We have the best workforce, low cost of living, high quality of life and women can make decisions about their bodies. That’s the story I want to be able to tell.”
There is growing anxiety among Democrats nationwide that outrage over the loss of abortion in more than a dozen states won’t be enough to push their candidates over the finish line in purple states like Michigan. Though the elimination of Roe unleashed a wave of energy on the left earlier this summer, carrying abortion rights measures and those who support them to victory...
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