Republicans in Ohio will have to get a little more conservative to land a coveted Ohio Right to Life endorsement in 2018.

The organization drew a hard line Thursday by announcing that candidates must hold a "pro-life" position containing no exceptions to abortion stemming from rape or incest to receive their political backing. The policy could impact a plethora of candidates seeking office during the 2018 midterm elections.

"A policy like this will shift the politics of Ohio to protect human life," said Katie Franklin, spokeswoman with Ohio Right to Life.

The change is intended to align the policies of the legislative and political action branches of the organization, Franklin said. It's more of a political strategy than an adherence to any religious philosophy.

The implications of such a stance could impact the money and votes received by candidates in contentious races, according to John Green, director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron.

By making the qualifications for endorsement more stringent, Green said many past candidates who were well-rated by the organization may receive lower marks — which carry financial and electoral consequences. Green expects candidates who rely on voters opposing abortion rights to bend their positions to land the endorsement.

"Gov. Kasich has been one of the nation's strongest pro-life supporters," Franklin said.

In recent years the Republican has signed at least 17 bills weakening access to abortions for women across the state. He has approved measures defunding Planned Parenthood and prohibiting abortions from taking place in public hospitals. Most recently, Kasich vetoed a measure that would ban abortions at six weeks, but signed one that bans the procedure at 20 weeks.

Kasich is on record saying he's "pro-life," although he supports exceptions allowing abortion in case of rape, incest and the life of the mother. Franklin said the organization still supports abortion exceptions in cases when the life of the mother is endangered.

"It shouldn't be up to some politician or Ohio Right to Life to decide when a woman can receive abortion care," said Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.

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Ohio women have been fleeing the state to receive abortions, according to Copeland. She called the state of reproductive rights a crisis, with women being forced to have the operation further into their pregnancy. In some cases, she said women are being forced to continue their pregnancy against their will.

"We're going to continue to support candidates who trust women," Copeland said.

Franklin said she sees the new position as an opportunity to educate voters. The same is the case for Copeland, who said NARAL will work in advance of the 2018 midterms to train and "inform voters about what's at stake."

Green finds the shift in policy an interesting political ploy, saying that many abortion rights opponents support rape and incest exceptions. He called the position undoubtedly controversial, even within the "pro-life" community.

He noted that with the political middle ground shrinking in the states, organizations increasingly take stronger and stronger positions across a number of issues in their ideological camps.

"It does seem to fit with the broader polarization in American politics," Green said. "It draws the line somewhat more sharply over the pro-life position."

akeiper@dispatch.com

@keiperjourno