Republican senators face backlash for backing Massachusetts pro-choice gubernatorial hopeful

Rick Scott, Tom Cotton and Todd Young endorsed Brian Shortsleeve for the Republican nomination for Massachusetts governor, emphasizing his conservative record despite his later self-identification as a pro-choice candidate. Shortsleeve, a former Marine and venture capitalist, has positioned himself against primary favorite Michael Minogue and supports a new state law that eases access to abortions near birth, a stance at odds with the senators’ anti-late-term positions.

Attempts to obtain comments from the senators’ offices have yielded no response, suggesting they may be waiting for the primary outcome, which polls predict a decisive win for Minogue. In a separate development, Arkansas Senate polls vary widely, with some showing a Democratic challenger ahead and others confirming Cotton’s sizable lead, raising doubts about the reliability of recent survey methods. The article uses these examples to illustrate ongoing divisions within the GOP over abortion and the challenges of accurate polling in a midterm year.