Democrats immediately signaled they would aim to make abortion rights a central focus in next year’s midterm elections, where their prospects have been viewed as dim, while many Republicans sought to keep the focus on inflation and other problems facing President Biden…

One Biden adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, said abortion was an issue that could move swing voters, particularly suburban women, back to the Democrats’ corner.

Republicans’ caution, in turn, reflected a determination not to alienate these voters. Many centrist voters began to turn away from Democrats over economic concerns, but polls suggest they would be wary if long-established reproductive rights began to crumble…

Other Republicans emphasized that if the court does strike down Roe, each state would decide whether to outlaw it, meaning it would almost certainly remain legal in Democratic-leaning states.

“I think that there’s a lot of misunderstanding about what the Supreme Court may do and what its impact would be,” said Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), who has previously helmed the Senate Republican campaign arm. “Abortion is still going to be available in the United States, but it’s going to be decided on a state-by-state basis.”