'Roaches Voting for Raid'? Reasons Why Women Vote GOP

Sunny Hostin, a co-host of ABC's daytime talk show The View, sparked debate after suggesting that women opting to vote Republican in the upcoming midterms was akin to "roaches voting for Raid."

Hostin made the remarks questioning why white suburban women—a key demographic in any major election—are planning on voting for GOP candidates on November 8 despite the many of members of the party looking to implement abortion restrictions across the country after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

Hostin, who is against abortion due to her Catholic faith but does not believe it should be criminalized, used the pest control spray allegory while appearing to reference a Wall Street Journal poll that found that white suburban women favor Republicans in congressional races by 15 percentage points.

The results suggest that voters, including white suburban voters, consider the rising cost of living and inflation are bigger issues than abortion, and that they trust the GOP rather than Democrats to handle the economy.

"The abortion issue. I read a poll that white, suburban women are now going to vote Republican. It's almost like roaches voting for Raid. They are voting against their own self-interest," Hostin said.

"Do they want to live in The Handmaid's Tale?' she said in reference to Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel which was later adapted for television.

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump White House communications director, said Hostin's remarks were "insulting" to female voters.

"Do we love democracy or not? People make up decisions on what's right for their family," Griffin said, noting that Hostin had a "different view on abortion not that long ago."

In response, Hostin said: "That is my faith. I believe that abortion is wrong—for me. There is a separation between government and church. I do not have the right to tell someone else. They are voting against their own self-interest."

Marie Sanderson, the national co-chair of Right Direction Women, called Hostin's remarks "ignorant and thoughtless."

"She certainly didn't do herself any favors and should apologize for her thoughtless comment comparing women to roaches," Sanderson told Newsweek. "Ms. Hostin should know that women are entitled to their own views on politics.

"We encourage Ms. Hostin to step off her high horse and get out of the New York City elitist bubble before making insulting and lazy comments about women."

The Democrats have made abortion rights a key campaign issue in elections across the country, hoping that fears of statewide or even national bans would motivate voters to keep them in control of the House and Senate.

However, a number of surveys, including the Wall Street Journal poll, have shown that voters consider inflation and the economy, as well as crime or threats to democracy, as bigger issues in helping them decide who to vote for.

The Wall Street Journal poll found that rising prices were the main issue for voters, with 34 percent listing it as their priority. Threats to democracy was the second most important issue at 28 percent, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade the third most important factor at 16 percent.

The results show that white suburban women trust Republicans over Democrats to handle the economy and inflation, which has become the key factor in how they will decide how to vote.

"Right now I feel the Democrats are ruining our country," Dana Gianassi, 68, a resident of Lincoln, California who has already voted for a Republican ticket, said while citing concerns about illegal immigration from the southern border and high prices.

"We're on fixed incomes," she told The Wall Street Journal. "The gas is unbelievable."

Gianassi added that fears about crime also influenced her decision to vote GOP. "We don't go out at night anymore because of it," she said. "We don't go to Sacramento after dark. It has affected our lives."

Ruth Anne Ramsey, 76, of Darien, Connecticut, also revealed she was considering voting for the GOP on November 8 because of her concerns about the economy.

"I think that generally I would trust Democrats on social issues but trust the Republicans more on monetary issues," she said. "I think that the economy is number one in my mind. It's costing people so much more money to live."

Democratic pollster Molly Murphy told the Wall Street Journal that the poll results prove that white suburban women have "shifted their gaze" more on the economy than abortion.

The Wall Street Journal data is also in line with the results from the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, which also found inflation as the top issue for voters overall, with 36 percent listing it as their main priority when deciding who to vote in the midterms.

Preserving democracy (26 percent), was the second most important issue, with abortion coming in third at 14 percent.

Even when broken down to just likely Democratic voters, abortion is still not the number one issue, with preserving democracy 20 points ahead in terms of main voter priority (42-22 percent).

In the 2018 midterms, women voters were thought to be a key factor in the Democrats retaking the House, with exit polls suggesting 59 percent of women supported Democrats and 40 percent voting for the GOP.

Discussing the 2022 midterm vote, Republican Women for Progress Co-founder Kodiak Hill-Davis told Newsweek: "The Democratic party bet big on the Dobbs decision, but has failed to articulate plans to address inflation, the resulting energy crisis from Russia's war on Ukraine, public safety, and the lasting impact of COVID policies on kids.

"It is possible for suburban women to walk and chew gum at the same time, or in this case, to care about reproductive health care and vote for Republican candidates that are offering solutions to problems directly impacting their families."

Newsweek has reached out to the Woman's National Democratic Club for comment.

Update 11/4/22 2:00 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Sanderson.

Update 11/4/2022 This story has been updated with comment from Kodiak Hill-Davis.