White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took a victory lap after the largely positive results for Democrats on Election Day, saying Republicans' "extreme" abortion policy gave her party the edge.
"President Biden's values and agenda won big across the country last night. In Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and in Virginia, voters once again sided with President Biden's agenda to stand up for fundamental freedoms and build an economy for the middle class and protect democracy," Jean-Pierre said the moment she took to the podium for Wednesday's press briefing.
Jean-Pierre cited Ohio voters overwhelmingly approving a ballot initiative that enshrined the "right" to an abortion in the state constitution, defining it as a rejection of "attempts by Republican elected officials to impose extreme abortion bans since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade."
WHO WERE THE BIGGEST WINNERS ON ELECTION DAY 2023?
"From Kentucky to Virginia to Pennsylvania, voters in those states also turned out to roundly reject abortion bans that jeopardized the health and the lives of women, force women to travel hundreds of miles for care and threatened to criminalize doctors and nurses," she said despite Kentucky already having a near total abortion ban in place.
"The stakes could not have been higher. And last night, voters sent a very, very clear message. We have always said voting matters and polls do not. Our focus is going to remain on our work to grow the economy, lower costs for families and protect fundamental freedoms against dangerous agendas that are out of touch with the American people."
Democrats won a number of major victories Tuesday, including deep-red Kentucky incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear handily winning re-election over Republican state Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Virginia Democrats winning control of both houses of the state legislature.
The victories put a damper on Republican hopes of building momentum heading into the 2024 elections, when control of the White House and both chambers of Congress will be up for grabs.
The GOP did have one bright spot on the night with the victory of incumbent Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who defeated a formidable challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley.
