The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
The most conservative Supreme Court in nearly a century could deliver two major decisions on abortion and gun rights that pack a political punch just months before next year’s elections.
Democrats are bracing for the court’s 6-3 conservative majority to deliver potentially blockbuster defeats but are already preparing to try to turn the losses into victories at the ballot box. Democrats are betting on polling trends that show Americans support Roe v. Wade and tougher gun laws, especially in the vital and fluid suburbs.
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the campaign chair tasked with defending Democrats’ House majority, said Republicans “may live to regret it” if the Supreme Court majority they built reverses Roe.
Historical trends favor Republicans in the battle for the House and Senate in the 2022 elections. The last two presidents suffered heavy losses for their party in the first midterm election. Democrats, who rely on a base of younger and nonwhite voters, tend to see sharper drop-offs in turnout when they control the White House.
