LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Criss-crossing the country, Hadley Duvall made dozens of stops over the last several months on the campaign trail as a surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Kentucky native, who made waves across the country sharing her story of being a survivor of rape and incest as a child, watched election night from battleground Arizona -- where she says she had the feeling Donald Trump was going to win.
“People are living paycheck to paycheck. And you have one man screaming, 'I’m going to fix it.' And then you have a woman trying to say, 'We’re all human, we’re all American' – letting us know where she comes from, letting us know that she is one of us. But at the end of the day, people are tired and don’t want to hear that. They want to hear that you’re going to put money in their pockets," Duvall acknowledged.
Democrats hoped abortion rights would carry the presidential election, but Republicans now hold control of the White House and both chambers of Congress – a governing sweep.
“When you look at things like abortion, the majority of Americans are on the same side of the fence,” Duvall said. “However, it’s not a determiner for half of Americans. That’s the problem.”
Stephen Voss, an associate professor of political science at the University of Kentucky, explained why the issue of reproductive rights wasn't one of the top drivers in the presidential election.
“A lot of people, who if you focus them only on the abortion question, prefer more rights than a lot of states grant – nonetheless [they] had other reasons that they chose to vote Republican anyway,” Voss said.
The election results signaled issues like grocery prices and immigration played a bigger role in how voters cast their ballots, including in Kentucky.
Kentuckians overwhelmingly backed Trump in 2024, giving him a wider margin of victory compared to 2020.
“People speak at the polls with their pocketbook,” State Senate President Robert Stivers (R-25) said in a news conference after the election. “That’s where I think [Trump] has seen the message that has resonated and resonated in heavily blue states, not just red, but blue states.”
Efforts to protect or expand abortion rights passed in seven of the 10 states where it was on the ballot in 2024, including in Montana and Missouri where Trump won handily.
Even in ruby-red Kentucky – voters in 2022 rejected an amendment to eliminate the constitutional protection for abortion.
“Just because voters agree or disagree with a candidate on any one issue does not guarantee they’re going to vote based on that issue,” Voss said. “Donald Trump received a lot of support from people who want abortion to be legal.”
Trump has said 80% of the GOP supports exceptions for abortion bans in cases of rape and incest.
But Kentucky Right to Life Executive Director Addia Wuchner said the group doesn’t advocate for an exceptions bill.
“We do advocate for legislation that would look at rape and incest and look at prosecution,” Wuchner said. “What are we actually doing for victims of rape and incest? We explored that last year, and we’ll be exploring that again this year with members of the General Assembly.”
In a statement, the Republican Party of Kentucky spokesperson said lawmakers in Frankfort “continue discussions regarding exceptions.”
“This is a deeply emotional topic with a wide range of perspectives on how to proceed,” Andrew Westberry said. “However, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment further, as neither caucus has released its 2025 legislative priorities.”
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, a Republican, has been outspoken in support of exceptions for instances of rape and incest.
“My position has not changed,” he told WHAS11 in a statement Thursday. “After listening to prosecutors, crime victims and my family, I believe the law should be amended to included exceptions for rape and incest in addition to the existing exception for life and health of the mother. This mainstream position is consistent with my faith, and I believe is shared by most Kentuckians, including so many who consider themselves pro-life.”
Duvall said when it comes to this issue, her expectations in Kentucky are low.
“It’ll ultimately be up to the lawmakers of this state to come through for women,” she said. “If they don’t, I’ll continue to fight. And if they do, there will still be more work to be done.”
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