U.S. Representative-elect Kelly Morrison will be one of around two dozen lawmakers with medical backgrounds and the only OB-GYN supporting abortion rights in Congress following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, drawing national attention.
She will represent Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, taking over from U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, who did not seek re-election due to his unsuccessful presidential bid.
Morrison, who has previously served in both the state House and Senate, was motivated to run for office after President Trump, during his first campaign, pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade—a promise he fulfilled, leading to the Dobbs decision and a maternal health crisis.
Morrison played a key role in passing a state law codifying abortion rights during the Democratic-controlled legislature, but Washington’s political landscape will be different with Republicans in control of both chambers and the presidency.
Nevertheless, Morrison plans to work across party lines, expressing optimism that a narrow majority in the U.S. House will offer opportunities for bipartisan collaboration. She hopes to address issues like prescription drug costs and veterans’ services while opposing a federal abortion ban, citing widespread voter support for abortion rights in both red and blue states. If such a ban is proposed, she intends to speak out against it as the only pro-choice OB-GYN in Congress.
Morrison won her election by 17 points in a district that has shifted from being a Republican stronghold to a more Democratic-leaning area.
