‘We Can’t Even Have Discourse’
The Michigan Senate race of 1985 shaped the current partisan abortion landscape that we see in today's politics. The race would decide which party controlled the Michigan Senate. Right to Life — the state’s leading anti-abortion group — backed a Democrat.
The Democratic candidate’s name was Stephen Monsma, a former lawmaker and Calvin College political science professor.
Michigan Public Radio Network’s Cheyna Roth, as part of a joint project with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, reports on how abortion moved to the forefront of national politics around 1980.