For years it seemed that most Americans accepted/believed that Roe was settled law in the United States and so when the topic came up Republicans were able to motivate their voters by focusing on the cases (like late term abortions) and their voters came out and voted based upon their opposition to abortion while Democratic voters remained less concerned because they did not believe that Roe would/could ever really be overturned. I remember even during the 2016 election I spoke with some sincerely religious Christian voters who admitted to me that they were voting for Trump despite their disgust for his behavior “because they wanted him to appoint pro-life judges”,
Kansas was shocking because it is such a Ruby Red Republican State. There hasn’t been a Democratic Senator elected by the State of Kansas since 1932 (that is not a typo) when George McGill beat Ben Paulsen by approximately 16,000 votes. The last time Kansas voted for a Democratic candidate for President was 1936 (FDR’s second term landslide). In 1928 Kansas had voted for Herbert Hoover over Al Smith by a 72 – 27 margin (that’s not a typo either) and by 1940 Kansas went back to its Republican roots and voted for Wendell Wilkie over FDR by a 56 – 42 margin and they have not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since then.
So if the voters in Kansas came out in epic numbers to protect abortion rights it is a sign of something very very big that will be coming in other states and swing districts. In States where it is obvious the voters would not approve an abortion ban there are Republican candidates running for Governor and Senate who are vowing to support and absolute ban without any exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. Democratic candidates need to pledge that if they get two more Democratic Senators and keep control of the House they will pass a national law protecting abortion rights. If the reactionary Supreme Court blocks that law Congress will then have a mandate to change the Court.