Republican senators are looking for a way to avoid the political hit they took on abortion rights in the 2022 midterm election, when they suffered a net loss of one seat, as Senate Democrats ramp up to make it a top issue in 2024.
Republicans think they have a great opportunity to recapture the Senate next year, as Democrats must defend 23 seats, including vulnerable incumbents in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Senate Republicans only have 10 seats up for reelection and no vulnerable incumbents to worry about.
But Senate Republican strategists warn their hopes of winning back the majority in 2024 could be derailed by the abortion debate, as they believe happened last year.