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Political Ads Mentioning Abortion Jump After Court Leak

  • Wesleyan Media Project says both parties mention abortion more
  • Ads signal ‘country’s attention has turned to abortion rights’
A pedestrians carries an American flag near abortion rights demonstrators outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 11.

A pedestrians carries an American flag near abortion rights demonstrators outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 11.

Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg
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The mention of abortion in political television advertisements has surged since a draft US Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade was made public.

In US House races, 22% of pro-Democratic ads and 24.5% of pro-Republican ads that ran since the May 2 leak mentioned abortion, according to a report from the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks campaign spending. Previously, 6.2% of Democratic and 13.5% of Republican ads mentioned the issue.