The defeat this week of an Ohio ballot measure that would have made it harder to amend the state constitution was a big win for supporters of abortion rights.
But the rejection of Issue 1 contains another lesson that could have implications for the 2024 election: that the GOP’s focus on transgender youth — wrapped in a message about “parents’ rights” — may have run its course. In the weeks leading up to the referendum, Protect Women Ohio, which is made up of a coalition of anti-abortion groups, spent more than $5 million on ads tying the ballot measure to gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
Former vice president and current presidential contender Mike Pence also weighed in, recording a video message urging support for Issue 1.
