US bishops react to abortion referendum results

By CathNews New Zealand

November 6th, 2026

(Tom Arthur/Wikimedia Commons)

Referendums on abortion policy in four US states on Tuesday resulted in three outcomes that expanded or did not restrict access, prompting reactions from Catholic bishops. Source: EWTN News.

Voters in Virginia and Nevada adopted amendments to their state constitutions to create a legal right to abortion, with more than 62 per cent support in both states. Voters in Missouri defeated a pro-life referendum that would have repealed their state constitution’s legal right to abortion, with 55.5 per cent voting against it.

Voters in Idaho rejected a referendum that would have changed state law to create a legal right to abortion, with 56 per cent of voters casting their ballots for “no”.

Overall, the Democrats won control of both the US House and Senate in the November 3 midterm elections.

The bishops in Catholic dioceses in Virginia described the abortion referendum result in their state as “profoundly tragic”. Bishop Barry Knestout and Bishop Michael Burbidge said the state constitutional amendment is “a complete rejection of the immeasurable value of human life, created in God’s image and likeness”.

The Nevada Catholic Conference said “A vote can change Nevadaʼs constitution, but it cannot change the dignity and value of every human life”.

The Missouri Catholic Conference said it is “profoundly saddened” voters rejected the pro-life amendment in their state.

Catholic bishops were heavily involved before the voting in the four abortion referendum battles, seeking to rally the faithful behind the Church’s teaching about the sanctity of life and cast their ballots in line with the pro-life causes.

Since the US Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, resulting in each state determining its abortion laws, voters in most states with ballot measures on abortion in 2022, 2023 and 2024 have supported abortion protections or rejected abortion bans, OSV News reported.

There have not been many reactions from US bishops about the overall congressional results, although the Colorado Catholic Conference – which represents all of the state’s bishops – put out a statement congratulating all winners and urging them to support the common good.

While data about how Catholics ultimately voted is not yet clear, a Pew Research Center survey prior to the election found that among all Catholics, 42 per cent said they planned to vote for the Democrat in their House district, 39 per cent said the Republican, while another 19 per cent said they were unsure or would select another party’s candidate. It also found white Catholics and Hispanic Catholics divided sharply over which party’s candidates they planned to support, OSV News reported.

FULL STORY

Bishops, pro-life movement react to abortion referendums, election results (By Tyler Arnold/EWTN News)

Idaho defies trend, rejects abortion protections ballot measure (National Catholic Reporter/OSV News)

Democrats win House and Senate in landslide midterm election seen as Trump rebuke (OSV News)