Anger among Democrats across the country over the lack of abortion in more than 10 states may not be enough to push candidates to the final ranks in purple states like Michigan. Anxiety is growing. Although the exclusion of egg Unleash a wave of energy on your left side early this summer, Abortion Rights Measures And those who back them to win some primaries, high inflation, and other cost-of-living issues have dampened voter enthusiasm for Democratic candidates.

Whitmer now leads Republican rival Tudor-Dixon by 5 points, down from 12 points a month ago. According to 538Her constituency is shrinking, even as polls show strong support for a bill to include abortion rights in the state constitution.

Two weeks before Election Day, she Along with Attorney General Dana Nessel and other Democrats voting in battleground states, they are warning workers will flee if the amendment fails and the state’s long-term abortion law takes effect. Technology, Healthcare and Service Sectors — Employee Recruitment and Retention.

“I constantly hear from companies that they are feeling the weight of ‘her departure,’ meaning women leaving the workplace due to COVID-19,” she said. “If a woman wants to return to the workplace in Michigan, it would be better not to deprive her of the right to make decisions about her own health care as a full citizen. It is that

Other Democratic lawmakers across the country are promoting similar messages. Using the final day of the campaign to argue that abortion and financial concerns go hand in hand.

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said in a recent interview that protecting the right to abort a pregnancy would help individuals make financial choices about family size amid soaring inflation. California Governor Gavin Newsom bought sign This year, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas are trying to get workers into his state, a “sanctuary” for abortion rights.

But Michigan candidates are testing a broader message to employers and the best places to hire and invest.

“All you have to do is talk to business owners in your state. They’ll tell you there aren’t enough people working for you. Everyone is desperate,” she said. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D., Michigan), who is in fierce competition to hold the swing district, told POLITICO. “So are we going to be an open-minded nation that believes in equality and rights? No. It doesn’t motivate kids who go to the U of M for four years to stay in the state after they graduate.”

Whitmer’s administration points to data it has collected showing that the lack of affordable childcare is the number one reason women are struggling to get back into the workforce, especially during the pandemic. Susan Corbyn, who heads the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, said: He added that protecting abortion rights would help stop the “brain drain” that has long plagued Michigan. It’s a message Whitmer has been pushing since he got the draft opinion that shows. eggand what she emphasized in interviews, speeches, and forums with business leaders.

But Whitmer’s Republican challenger Dixon, who has voiced support for abortion restrictions and criticized the governor for Michigan’s economic struggles, dismissed these arguments as unserious.

“I think we can work on parenting. “But you can’t plan economic development on the basis of abortion. You have to plan better than that.”

Dixon has sought to distance herself from the unpopularity of the state’s 1931 abortion law, arguing that voters can support both her and a referendum on the state’s vote to protect reproductive freedom. Research shows that many voters may do just that.

Meanwhile, the anti-abortion group, which has invested heavily in Mr. Dixon’s election to defeat the abortion rights ballot, predicts that such a hardline economic pitch by the Democrats will anger voters and sway the outcome. there is

“It feels very insensitive to say,” said Kristen Polo, a spokesperson for Citizens to Protect Women and Children in Michigan, which is leading the fight against the voting initiative. “These are really difficult situations that no one should take lightly, and I don’t like it when women who have abortions are said to be good for business.”

But for business owners like Chris Andrus, Whitmer’s argument resonates.

Andrus, who founded Mitten Brewing in Grand Rapids in 2012 and oversees three breweries and restaurants, said that, like the rest of the hospitality sector, his workforce, which is overwhelmingly young women, is a state affair. said he was uneasy about the prospect of a 1931 ban on return to valid.

“My staff told me it would weigh on decisions about where to move and start a career,” he said. But when Michigan becomes like Texas and other states known for their restricted access to abortions, it will be exporting a lot of young talent, and there’s no way around it.

Andras said most business owners he spoke to were unwilling to take a public position on the issue for fear of alienating conservative customers.

“This is a sack of dynamite on fire for restaurant owners to speak out, but this is a reminder that an economic crisis is underway and that if those rights are gone, the impact will be staggering.” I think it’s absolutely essential to be aware,” he said.

regardless of tension and division In states over the issue, some business and labor groups have joined the fray, publicly warning elected officials of the potential economic repercussions of anti-abortion policies.

The Detroit Area Chamber of Commerce said this year, “Abortion rights are no ordinary chamber issue. To meet the demands of a growing economy, the Detroit Area Chamber of Commerce is urging Michigan legislators to consider economic competitiveness issues when debating whether to ban the procedure.

Group in early October Whitmer Approvedciting her work to “ensure Michigan’s competitiveness.”

The United Auto Workers, arguably the most influential union in the state, prompt members Re-elect Whitmer and pass the Abortion Rights Vote Initiative.

“Being able to make decisions about reproductive health care, such as whether and when to have children, gives people more control over their health and financial security,” said the UAW.

Other labor groups, including Michigan’s National Teachers Federation and the state’s AFL-CIO chapter, supported the referendum.

But Michigan’s Republican candidates and the anti-abortion groups that support them say there is little, if any, evidence that the fate of the state’s abortion laws will have a significant impact on the state’s economy.

Companies that employ thousands of workers have spoken out against the new regulations in more than a dozen states, but they say they haven’t taken action yet.

Titus Folks, organizer of the group Students for Life, who leads a team of student volunteers to knock on doors to defeat the referendum, pointed to neighboring Indiana, which passed a near-total abortion ban this summer.

“The Chamber of Commerce opposed it, but no company has yet left the state or announced plans to do so,” Fawkes said. “Companies are actively using the issue as a bargaining tool, and many are spending money to provide transportation for their employees. [leave the state for an abortion]but that’s about it.

Other states that have outlawed abortion since the June decision have seen little economic impact, and proposals by other Democratic officials to businesses centered on abortion rights have fell flat. Several large companies have rolled out plans to help workers living in states that have banned the procedure move to states that maintain access, but have canceled relocations or planned expansions. We have not yet announced plans to do so.

Whitmer pointed out Statement of August Indiana-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has issued a warning that the state’s abortion ban will reduce its “ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world,” adding that the new law will prevent the company from “will be forced to make plans” for expanding employment outside of our home base. “

When asked by POLITICO if Eli Lilly would consider investing in Michigan if the abortion rights referendum passes, the company declined to comment.

Still, Whitmer and other Democrats running this year are confident they have a winning message as they try to keep the state’s executive branch and overturn Congress for the first time in decades. State Capitol and Senate districts are more competitive.

Betsy Coffea, a former social worker and challenger for the Democratic state House of Representatives for the Northwest District, has made strides in abortion rights economics over the course of her campaign, including at a recent candidate forum held by her local Chamber of Commerce. He told POLITICO that he was emphasizing the impact.

Considered by the state’s Democrats to be a “must-win” election, Coffia said the debate “has people’s support,” even for those who oppose abortion.

“My rural district is already struggling to get enough doctors, especially OB-GYNs,” she said. “So banning abortion and kicking more medical professionals out of this state could be a medical and economic catastrophe. We could really be the backwaters.”