Despite President Joe Biden’s historic unpopularity, inflation’s persistent drag on Americans’ household budgets, deep societal concerns about crime, homelessness and drug use, and the powder keg unfolding across the country over the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel, abortion rights proved the most powerful motivating force in this past Tuesday’s off-year elections.

Voters in deep-red Ohio added the right to an abortion to the state’s constitution. Virginia voters handed Democrats control of both chambers of the General Assembly. Kentucky, another deep-red state, reelected an incumbent Democrat as governor. Abortion rights remain for Democrats — and perhaps some others — a potent motivator.

The same was true in the race here in Pennsylvania for the state Supreme Court. Democrat Dan McCaffery, flush with outside cash, won the open seat, soundly defeating Republican Montgomery County Judge Carolyn Carluccio in a race in which McCaffery touted his ability to be a defender of abortion rights.

Even in the local election for county executive here in Allegheny County — where the position has zero power on abortion rights in a state where abortion is enshrined in the state constitution — Sara Innamorato successfully focused almost solely on abortion protection in her messaging and social media.