Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., could be in trouble as he approaches his November midterm election. The pro-life advocacy group, Susan B. Anthony List, is spending $785,000 in ads against the Democratic senator for his role in upholding funding to Planned Parenthood. Manchin, who describes himself as “pro-life,” voted against a bill in 2017 that would have permitted states to deny funding to organizations that provide abortion services. With an upcoming Senate vote on federal funding for Planned Parenthood, SBA List wants to pressure Manchin on his commitment to pro-life issues.
[Also read: Abortion, Obamacare defenders ramp up August recess opposition to Brett Kavanaugh]
This ad campaign could cause problems for Manchin in a state that boasts the lowest support for abortion in the country. According to a 2014 Pew survey, 35 percent of West Virginians believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared to 58 percent who believe it should be illegal in all or most cases.
All this takes on greater importance with the upcoming Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Manchin is being courted by Republicans as a potential swing vote and faces political pressure from his home state to side with Trump’s nominee. As pro-life advocates hope a majority conservative bench could weaken or reverse the holding in Roe v. Wade, some voters could turn on the West Virginian senator if he fails to take a firm stand on pro-life issues.
Manchin’s challenger, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, is fully aware of this. After Manchin urged the president to nominate a “centrist” judge who would not overturn Roe, Morrisey’s campaign responded by criticizing his position on the controversial Supreme Court decision: “If Sen. Joe Manchin is unwilling to support justices who will defend the sanctity of life, West Virginia voters cannot trust Manchin to stand up for life.”
The RealClearPolitics average has Manchin with a 7-point lead over Morrisey, but don’t be surprised to see that gap shrink if more attention is drawn to Manchin’s questionable position on abortion.
Cole Carnick is a commentary intern with the Washington Examiner.
