Pat Ryan, who won a high-profile seat in this week's special election, says it wasn't only abortion that put him over the top, but the right to choose coupled with economic issues. Via CNN:

It’s becomingly increasingly clear that when abortion rights are on the ballot, abortion rights win. That’s one lesson, at least, from this week’s special election in a swing district of New York’s Hudson Valley, in which pro-choice Democrat Pat Ryan beat Republican Marc Molinaro.

The district is one where Joe Biden just barely squeaked out a win in 2020 – the kind of place where you’d expect voters to swing the other way in the midterms. And yet Ryan won with 52% of the vote, to Molinaro’s 48%, to finish out the term of former Congressman Antonio Delgado, who was elevated to New York’s Lieutenant Governor. (Ryan also won the Democratic primary for New York’s newly-drawn 18th congressional district).

I live in the district, and blue signs for both candidates speckle lawns across several counties. One difference, though, is that signs that read “Vote Paul Ryan for Congress” were often next to pink ones that said “CHOICE IS ON THE BALLOT.”

The issue of choice, perhaps coupled with a massive influx of New York City residents into the Catskills and the Hudson Valley over the past two years who have brought their liberal politics with them, seems to have made the difference for Ryan.

In the above interview with Alex Wagner, though, he emphasizes his message also hammered home economic issues, hitting especially hard on a local utility raising rates while making record profits.

He's not denying the impact of his pro-choice message, just recommending that it be coupled with economic issues to activate voters.