Two women, Amanda Zurawski from Texas and Kaitlyn Joshua from Louisiana, campaigned in Michigan for President Joe Biden, highlighting the risks to women’s health due to abortion restrictions. They shared their personal stories of medical emergencies caused by restrictive abortion laws in their states. Michigan voters previously approved a citizen-led ballot initiative in 2022 that codified abortion rights in the state’s constitution after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade. This initiative led to record turnout, particularly among young voters, resulting in Democrats’ largest gains in decades.
The Democratic Party aims to make abortion rights a central issue in the upcoming 2024 election in Michigan, hoping it will appeal to undecided voters and some members of the party who have concerns about Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Wayne County, which includes Detroit and has a significant Democratic voting base, has seen opposition to Biden’s stance on the conflict, leading some to consider sitting out the election. Biden and state Democrats hope that emphasizing the threat to abortion rights can help maintain the coalition that secured the state for him in 2020. They warn of a potential national ban on abortion if former President Donald Trump is reelected, citing Trump’s judicial nominations that influenced the Supreme Court’s decision in 2022.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who participated in the campaign event in Lansing, expressed concern for women’s reproductive rights in various states facing abortion bans. She emphasized the importance of choosing the right person as president to protect these rights. Republicans, including Trump, are grappling with how to address the issue of abortion in the current political climate. Some Michigan Republicans, like U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, believe the issue has been settled in the state and is no longer a topic for debate. Zurawski and Joshua, who have campaigned in other states for Biden, shared their stories with lawmakers, officials, and voters in Detroit and Grand Rapids to raise awareness about the impact of abortion restrictions on women’s health.
The Biden campaign views the stories of Zurawski and Joshua as powerful firsthand testimonies of the medical dangers women face due to abortion restrictions imposed by Republicans. Other surrogates for Biden, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have also focused on abortion rights in recent events. Michigan Democrats, who gained full legislative control in 2022, have taken steps to overturn the state’s 1931 abortion ban, protect workers from retaliation for receiving abortions, and remove regulations on abortion clinics. The party hopes to build on its success from the 2022 midterms and rally support for Biden in the upcoming election by highlighting the importance of protecting women’s reproductive rights.
