A handful of Arizona Republican legislators looking to overturn a 160-year-old state law that bans nearly all abortions have a new high-profile supporter: Kari Lake, a prominent Senate candidate and a close ally of Donald J. Trump.
The state Supreme Court’s ruling on Tuesday that upheld the 1864 law, from before Arizona was a state, set off a political firestorm, with Democrats predicting it would cause women to turn out in droves in a key swing state to protect access to abortion rights.
Now, some Republicans are looking for a way out of their political dilemma after their party blocked efforts to reverse the law. They see Ms. Lake, who is in a competitive race that could determine control of the Senate, as an important ally. Ms. Lake has called a handful of state legislators to offer her support in any effort to repeal the law and revert to the 15-week abortion ban that was in effect in Arizona, according to a person familiar with the outreach.
The new stance is an abrupt about-face for many Arizona Republicans, who cheered when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and then pushed quickly for reinstating the near-total ban from 1864. Ms. Lake herself had praised the 160-year-old ban during her 2022 run for governor, calling it a “great law,” but on Tuesday condemned the court decision, saying it was “out of step with Arizonans.”
Other Republicans followed suit.
“It is time for my legislative colleagues to find common ground of common sense: the first step is to repeal the territorial law,” State Senator Shawnna Bolick posted on X. It was a departure for Ms. Bolick, who once signed onto a law that would require prosecutors to charge women who have abortions with homicide and voted for the 15-week ban in 2022, legislation that included a provision allowing the 1864 law to go into effect.
The Republican backtracking reflects just how sharply public opinion has shifted on abortion since the Supreme Court’s consequential ruling, and how damaging the issue has been to their party. State laws on abortion enacted since Roe was overturned fueled strong showings by Democratic candidates in the 2022 midterms, and voters have turned out in force to protect abortion rights when they have been on the ballot, even in red states.
Still, the shift in tone went only so far. As Arizona Democrats clamored for votes and debate on proposals to repeal the 1864 ban on Wednesday, they were blocked by Republicans, who quickly shut down legislative proceedings and voted to adjourn until next week.
The 1864 law outlaws abortion from the moment of conception, with an exception only to save the life of a mother, and does not make allowances for rape or incest. The 15-week ban also lacks exceptions for rape or incest.
The State Senate president, Warren Petersen, and the State House speaker, Ben Toma, both Republicans, supported the abortion ban. Despite pressure from Democrats, women’s groups and even some Republicans, they have signaled they are in no hurry to repeal it.
“We as an elected body are going to take the time needed to listen to our constituents,” Mr. Toma said, adding that the Republican-controlled House would not “rush legislation on a topic of this magnitude.”
Democrats said it was urgent to pass a repeal before the court’s ruling upholding the 1864 law takes effect. “Today’s legislative action was unconscionable,” Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona, a Democrat, wrote on X. “The extremist Republican majority had the chance to do the right thing for their constituents, and they failed.”
Mr. Trump, after months of mixed signals — including privately telling allies he liked the idea of a 16-week federal ban — said this week that abortion restrictions should be left to the states, and then on Wednesday criticized the Arizona ruling and said he would not sign a federal ban.
Ms. Lake, who frequently stated her opposition to abortion on the campaign trail in 2022 and called it the “ultimate…
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