The campaign to restore abortion access in Missouri has raised close to $22 million, with over $14 million raised between July and the end of September alone. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom seeks to undo the state’s near-total abortion ban and is one of nine statewide campaigns working to enshrine abortion rights into state constitutions. The campaign had nearly $11 million in funds at the beginning of October for advertising in the final weeks before the Nov. 5 election. Donors to the campaign include model Karlie Kloss, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other organizations.
On the other side, a Missouri political action committee opposing the abortion-rights amendment has raised about $212,000 and had less than $5,000 left at the beginning of October. The political action committee of the anti-abortion group Missouri Right to Life has spent at least $637,000 opposing the amendment. Initiative petition campaigns in Missouri tend to be costly, and abortion ballot measures in other states have also been expensive. In 2022, a fight over protecting abortion rights in Ohio cost a combined $70 million, with supporters contributing nearly $40 million and opponents spending over $30 million. The reproductive rights amendment in Ohio passed with almost 57% of the vote.
This year, abortion rights groups have significantly outspent opponents in campaigns for ballot measures across the U.S., with an almost 8-to-1 fundraising margin. The issue of abortion access continues to be a highly contentious and financially intensive battleground at both the state and national levels. The involvement of prominent donors like Karlie Kloss, Michael Bloomberg, and major organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the ACLU demonstrates the significant resources being mobilized in support of reproductive rights. With less than a month left until the election, the financial and strategic investments made by both sides will play a crucial role in shaping the future of abortion access in Missouri and beyond.
The high level of fundraising for the campaign to restore abortion access in Missouri reflects the intensity of the debate surrounding reproductive rights in the state. Advocates on both sides are mobilizing significant resources to influence the outcome of the Nov. 5 election, where voters will have the opportunity to decide on the future of abortion access in Missouri. The fundraising disparity between proponents and opponents of the abortion-rights amendment underscores the divergent priorities and strategies being employed in this contentious issue. The outcomes of this election could have far-reaching implications for the legal landscape of reproductive rights in Missouri and serve as a bellwether for similar battles across the country.
As the election approaches, the advertising campaigns funded by the millions of dollars raised by both sides will likely intensify, with messages aimed at swaying undecided voters and energizing their respective bases. The financial investments made by organizations like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and Missouri Right to Life highlight the stakes involved in this debate and the determination of each side to secure victory. With such significant resources being poured into this issue, the outcome of the election will not only shape the future of abortion access in Missouri but also send a powerful message about the state of reproductive rights in the broader national landscape. The final weeks leading up to the Nov. 5 election promise to be a critical period in determining the fate of abortion rights in Missouri and the ongoing struggle for reproductive freedom in the United States.
