How one abortion ad changed an election

Post Reports

The Washington Post

Daily News, Politics, News

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🗓️ 25 January 2024

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As candidates and political strategists on both sides look at how to handle the abortion issue in 2024, all eyes have been on one viral ad credited with reelecting a Democrat in Kentucky. Today on “Post Reports,” we hear from the young woman behind it.

Since Roe v. Wade fell, voters have overwhelmingly backed abortion rights in each of the states where the issue has appeared directly on the ballot, including in conservative Kentucky, Kansas and, most recently, Ohio.

Democrats have had less success translating voters’ frustrations over abortion bans into races that could oust the politicians responsible for them, or prevent the election of other antiabortion leaders.

Hadley Duvall made that connection abundantly clear for Kentucky voters. Her ad, viewed online millions of times, sparked concerned discussions within the Republican Party, with top national leaders acknowledging the critical role Duvall played in Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection.

Today on “Post Reports,” we talk to abortion reporter Caroline Kitchener about how Duvall broke through, even with conservatives and moderates — and why political strategists are looking at this ad as a playbook.

Today’s show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Maggie Penman.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Martin. A warning before we start today's show. This episode deals with
0:08.0	sexual violence and child abuse, so it is probably not appropriate for everybody.
0:15.0	Say the late everybody.
0:16.0	Quiet on the side.
0:18.0	Stand we're rolling.
0:20.0	Okay.
0:22.0	Be it sounds good. Okay.
0:23.0	It sounds good.
0:25.0	Can you just for, you know,
0:28.0	we make sure that we get it right into camera.
0:29.4	And you just tell me it spell your name before. My name is Hadley Duval, H-A-D-L-E-Y-D-U-V-A-L-L.
0:37.0	This is Hadley Duval, behind the scenes on the set of a TV ad for Kentucky's Democratic
0:48.9	Governor Andy Bashir.
0:51.2	He was running for re-election last November against a staunchly
0:54.4	conservative Republican opponent, Daniel Cameron. Abortion became a heated
0:59.8	issue in the race and in the ad,ley who is 21 years old is sitting in a chair
1:06.4	looking directly into the camera. I was raped by my stepfather after years of
1:11.6	sexual abuse I was 12. Anyone who believes there should be no
1:16.0	exceptions for rape and incest could never understand what it's like to stand in my shoes.
1:21.6	This is to you, Daniel Cameron. To tell a 12 year old girl she must have the
1:26.2	baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable. I'm speaking out because women and girls need to have options.
1:34.0	Daniel Cameron would give us none.
	...

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