WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrat and Republican lawmakers are fervently pursuing a batch of doomed bills in the U.S. Congress in a bid to woo women whose votes could be decisive in the Nov. 4 midterm elections.
Recent votes on “pay equity” and family leave issues were aimed at women, who are increasingly crucial to Democrats’ election hopes, and therefore worrisome to Republicans. Any shift in women’s typical turnout or Democratic tilt this fall could determine tight elections, especially for the Senate.
Republicans need to gain six Senate seats to control the chamber, and women’s issues are especially lively in the most contested states, including Colorado, North Carolina, Arkansas and Louisiana.
A Senate vote Wednesday on contraception legislation is the latest example of Democrats’ win-by-losing strategy, which forces Republicans to vote on sensitive matters that might anger women.
Recent elections explain the fixation on female voters.