Friday’s Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and discard half a century of precedent could tip the scales in Pennsylvania’s hotly contested First Congressional District election.
Global Strategy Group – a full-service research, public affairs and communications agency – released results Monday to a survey by Public Policy Polling showing Democrat Ashley Ehasz would beat incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick by ten points due in large part to his anti-abortion position.
“When voters learn about his anti-abortion position, there is a dramatic shift toward Ehasz,” noted Global Strategy Group. “Fitzpatrick’s support among the Democrats who bolster his initial lead evaporates and women move solidly into Ehasz’s column.”
A sample of 626 registered Democratic, Republican, and Independent voters within PA01 – who are likely to participate in the November general election – were surveyed before and after the SCOTUS decision.
Survey respondents were asked:
Prior to the June 24 ruling, Ehasz trailed Fitzpatrick by seven points. However, 44 percent of voters polled disapproved of Fitzpatrick’s job performance while just 33 percent approved – revealing the congressman’s vulnerability in November.
“If anti-choice politicians gain a majority in Congress in 2022, they will likely start drafting legislation that would ban abortions at the federal level, meaning no state would be able to provide safe and legal abortions,” said Ehasz. “It’s incredibly important that we not only hold onto our majority, but expand it in both chambers in order to ensure we pass federal abortion protections.”
Breaking down the results, Ehasz’s popularity rose in every category including both male and female respondents.
“This just echoes the conversations I have had with people at rallies and knocking doors since Friday’s announcement, which is that when voters learn their Congressman had the opportunity to protect their right to an abortion and he refused to, they feel betrayed,” said Ehasz. “Fitzpatrick could have voted to codify Roe v Wade, but instead he washed his hands of it and sided with the most extreme members of his party. People feel abandoned, and rightly so.”
Fitzpatrick’s anti-choice position has shifted the popularity of Democratic candidate Ashley Ehasz by a significant 17-points, propelling her into a 10-point overall lead.
