The Biden campaign is strategically deploying Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden to campaign in battleground states in the coming days, focusing on the issue of abortion. Their travels coincide with the two-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and solidified a woman’s right to abortion. The first lady will be visiting Pittsburgh and Lancaster in Pennsylvania, while the vice president will campaign in Arizona and Maryland, where there are competitive Senate races. The campaign plans to have over 50 events across the country related to the Dobbs ruling, with a particular emphasis on battleground states.
Abortion is a top concern for many voters, and the Biden-Harris re-election team is using this issue to campaign on reproductive rights, highlight the stakes for the upcoming election, draw a contrast with Republicans, and blame former President Donald Trump for abortion bans implemented across the nation. In Arizona, Harris will focus on the impact of restrictions on reproductive freedom on Latinos, with the state being home to 1.3 million eligible Latino voters. Harris is expected to address the threats contraception and IVF face and claim that Trump is likely to sign a national ban on abortion, according to a source familiar with her plans.
While on the campaign trail, Vice President Harris has made reproductive rights a key issue, often attributing abortion bans to the policies of the former president. Harris frequently warns voters that a second Trump term would be detrimental, as he has promised to sign a federal abortion ban. Trump has previously considered a federal ban on abortion at 15 weeks, but in April he stated that the issue should be determined by individual states. Harris is anticipated to highlight Trump’s stance on abortion during an upcoming debate, as she expects him to be on the defense on this issue.
Harris has been actively involved in over 85 events across the country focused on reproductive rights since the overturning of Roe v Wade. Her upcoming visit to Arizona will be her third visit to the state this year, a battleground that Biden narrowly won in 2020. While Trump secured victory in Arizona in 2016, Biden’s win in 2020 was by a slim margin of fewer than 11,000 votes. The campaign events led by Harris and Mrs. Biden, along with other planned activities focusing on the Dobbs decision, aim to mobilize support for the Biden-Harris re-election campaign and emphasize the importance of reproductive rights in the upcoming general election.
In conclusion, the Biden campaign is strategically utilizing the issue of abortion to mobilize support in key battleground states. By deploying prominent figures such as Vice President Harris and first lady Jill Biden, the campaign aims to engage voters and draw a contrast with Republicans on reproductive rights. The upcoming events and campaign efforts surrounding the Dobbs decision highlight the importance of reproductive freedom in the upcoming election, while also positioning the Biden-Harris ticket as advocates for women’s rights and healthcare. With the debates on the horizon, Harris is expected to confront Trump on his stance on abortion, further emphasizing the differences between the two campaigns on this critical issue.
