Abortion Issues Were Out of Focus. Harris Aims to Revive Attention.
Abortion rights have become a central focus of the Democrats' 2024 campaign. However, concerns over Biden's performance in a contentious debate and ongoing doubts about the viability of his campaign over the past month have shifted attention away from this issue.
TroibNews 
For the past month, Democrats have been preoccupied with internal debates about whether President Joe Biden should remain the party's leader, diverting attention from the critical issue of abortion. Vice President Kamala Harris is working to refocus on this topic.
On Monday, Harris assured campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware, of her commitment to stopping Republicans from implementing a national ban, stating, “the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.” The following day, she wrapped up a rally in a Milwaukee suburb with a vow to sign legislation that would “restore reproductive freedoms.” On Wednesday, her campaign announced plans to counter former President Donald Trump’s rally in Charlotte with an abortion-centered event in North Carolina, featuring Hadley Duvall, a Kentucky woman who was raped by her stepfather at the age of 12.
Abortion rights have become a central theme for Democrats in the 2024 campaign, yet Biden's poor debate performance and subsequent doubts about his campaign's viability have overshadowed the issue. Harris is now positioning herself as a future presidential candidate and is emphasizing abortion rights to galvanize voters as she develops her broader policy agenda.
"We who believe in reproductive freedom will stop Donald Trump's extreme abortion bans, because we trust women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do,” Harris asserted at the rally on Tuesday. “And when Congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States I will sign it into law."
Trump has advocated for abortion rights to be determined by individual states, trying to deflect Democratic critiques. The topic of abortion was scarcely addressed at the recent Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where calls for a national ban were removed from the party platform. Even prior to being seen as a likely presidential nominee, Harris held Trump accountable for state-level abortion bans and the subsequent impact on patients. She has consistently been more candid than Biden on this issue, including making history as the first vice president to visit an abortion clinic in March.
“Having her at the top of the ticket, with her proven record, with her authenticity on this issue, with her passion and with her prosecutorial skills, going after the guy — the criminal — who's responsible for this crisis, it's already so energizing,” said Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, which endorsed Harris on Sunday. “It's going to make sure this issue is front and center for the election, as it should be, because it's the top persuasion issue of this election.”
This week, Reproductive Freedom For All launched its initial TV and digital ad supporting Harris, showcasing her remarks on the power of voters to challenge abortion bans. The advertisement is part of a six-figure campaign aimed at voters under 35 and people of color, with a total planned budget of $2 million.
Both advocates and opponents of abortion rights are keen to see Harris reignite the conversation and compel GOP candidates to address the issue.
While proponents of abortion rights anticipate Harris will advocate for more progressive policies than Biden, her specific pledges have so far been limited to signing legislation protecting “reproductive freedoms.” Her campaign has not provided further details upon request.
Anti-abortion groups, frustrated by some Republicans' reticence on the issue post-Roe v. Wade, are invigorated by Harris' ascension to the Democratic ticket. They aim to leverage her strong record on reproductive rights to portray her as more extreme than Biden.
“We find Kamala to be a larger threat to the life cause than Joe Biden,” said John Mize, president of Americans United for Life. “In a perverse way, it gives the pro-life movement a bit more juice, or a bit more energy, to combat the radical agenda.”
Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, stated that the organization will focus on Harris’ role as “Biden’s abortion czar” as part of a $92 million campaign across battleground states and states with abortion-rights measures on their ballots.
Some anti-abortion activists, disappointed by the issue's minimal presence at the Republican National Convention and the general avoidance by many Republicans, believe Harris’ candidacy will pressure GOP candidates to clarify their positions.
“There's going to be hundreds of millions of dollars spent on abortion advertising. So does the GOP intend to say nothing?” asked Kristi Hamrick, chief policy strategist for Students for Life of America. “The Republicans are going to need to answer. They're going to need to be fearless. They're going to need to be ready.”
In states where abortion rights are or could be on the ballot, proponents hope Harris' candidacy will motivate voters who were previously unimpressed by Biden. They believe she will help boost ballot measures in states like Nebraska.
“She’s a better messenger than Biden on abortion. When you hear Biden talk about abortion you get the impression that he is not actually a supporter of abortion rights,” said Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt, an independent. “We need a candidate who can speak soberly and seriously and just say like, ‘What the fuck are we doing, what the hell are we doing in this country that this has become so normalized?'”
Despite Harris’ potential impact, some strategists remain skeptical that her candidacy will alter the race’s dynamics, arguing that abortion rights are already central to the 2024 campaign.
“Abortion politics is already baked into the 2024 presidential sweepstakes, and that does not change because Kamala Harris may lead the ticket,” said Stan Barnes, a political consultant and former GOP state representative from Arizona. “Those who care most ardently about that topic and want to vote their conscience already know what they're doing. It's not going to move the needle.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Monday, Harris assured campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware, of her commitment to stopping Republicans from implementing a national ban, stating, “the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.” The following day, she wrapped up a rally in a Milwaukee suburb with a vow to sign legislation that would “restore reproductive freedoms.” On Wednesday, her campaign announced plans to counter former President Donald Trump’s rally in Charlotte with an abortion-centered event in North Carolina, featuring Hadley Duvall, a Kentucky woman who was raped by her stepfather at the age of 12.
Abortion rights have become a central theme for Democrats in the 2024 campaign, yet Biden's poor debate performance and subsequent doubts about his campaign's viability have overshadowed the issue. Harris is now positioning herself as a future presidential candidate and is emphasizing abortion rights to galvanize voters as she develops her broader policy agenda.
"We who believe in reproductive freedom will stop Donald Trump's extreme abortion bans, because we trust women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do,” Harris asserted at the rally on Tuesday. “And when Congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States I will sign it into law."
Trump has advocated for abortion rights to be determined by individual states, trying to deflect Democratic critiques. The topic of abortion was scarcely addressed at the recent Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where calls for a national ban were removed from the party platform. Even prior to being seen as a likely presidential nominee, Harris held Trump accountable for state-level abortion bans and the subsequent impact on patients. She has consistently been more candid than Biden on this issue, including making history as the first vice president to visit an abortion clinic in March.
“Having her at the top of the ticket, with her proven record, with her authenticity on this issue, with her passion and with her prosecutorial skills, going after the guy — the criminal — who's responsible for this crisis, it's already so energizing,” said Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, which endorsed Harris on Sunday. “It's going to make sure this issue is front and center for the election, as it should be, because it's the top persuasion issue of this election.”
This week, Reproductive Freedom For All launched its initial TV and digital ad supporting Harris, showcasing her remarks on the power of voters to challenge abortion bans. The advertisement is part of a six-figure campaign aimed at voters under 35 and people of color, with a total planned budget of $2 million.
Both advocates and opponents of abortion rights are keen to see Harris reignite the conversation and compel GOP candidates to address the issue.
While proponents of abortion rights anticipate Harris will advocate for more progressive policies than Biden, her specific pledges have so far been limited to signing legislation protecting “reproductive freedoms.” Her campaign has not provided further details upon request.
Anti-abortion groups, frustrated by some Republicans' reticence on the issue post-Roe v. Wade, are invigorated by Harris' ascension to the Democratic ticket. They aim to leverage her strong record on reproductive rights to portray her as more extreme than Biden.
“We find Kamala to be a larger threat to the life cause than Joe Biden,” said John Mize, president of Americans United for Life. “In a perverse way, it gives the pro-life movement a bit more juice, or a bit more energy, to combat the radical agenda.”
Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, stated that the organization will focus on Harris’ role as “Biden’s abortion czar” as part of a $92 million campaign across battleground states and states with abortion-rights measures on their ballots.
Some anti-abortion activists, disappointed by the issue's minimal presence at the Republican National Convention and the general avoidance by many Republicans, believe Harris’ candidacy will pressure GOP candidates to clarify their positions.
“There's going to be hundreds of millions of dollars spent on abortion advertising. So does the GOP intend to say nothing?” asked Kristi Hamrick, chief policy strategist for Students for Life of America. “The Republicans are going to need to answer. They're going to need to be fearless. They're going to need to be ready.”
In states where abortion rights are or could be on the ballot, proponents hope Harris' candidacy will motivate voters who were previously unimpressed by Biden. They believe she will help boost ballot measures in states like Nebraska.
“She’s a better messenger than Biden on abortion. When you hear Biden talk about abortion you get the impression that he is not actually a supporter of abortion rights,” said Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt, an independent. “We need a candidate who can speak soberly and seriously and just say like, ‘What the fuck are we doing, what the hell are we doing in this country that this has become so normalized?'”
Despite Harris’ potential impact, some strategists remain skeptical that her candidacy will alter the race’s dynamics, arguing that abortion rights are already central to the 2024 campaign.
“Abortion politics is already baked into the 2024 presidential sweepstakes, and that does not change because Kamala Harris may lead the ticket,” said Stan Barnes, a political consultant and former GOP state representative from Arizona. “Those who care most ardently about that topic and want to vote their conscience already know what they're doing. It's not going to move the needle.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
