With an unpopular president and soaring inflation, Democrats knew they had an uphill battle in the midterms.

But the fall of Roe v. Wade seemed to offer the party a way of energizing voters and holding ground. And one place where that hope could live or die is Michigan.

Guest: Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Some top Democrats say that their party has focused too much attention on abortion rights and not enough on worries about crime or the cost of living.
• The outcome of the midterms will affect abortion access for millions of Americans. Activists on both sides are focused on races up and down the ballot.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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