In a recent meeting with her staff, Vice President Kamala Harris predicted that former President Donald J. Trump would not support a national abortion ban. She believed that Trump would take a position that would complicate the issue and potentially harm his campaign. Harris instructed that an event in Tucson on student loans should instead focus on abortion rights following rumors that a court ruling on Arizona’s abortion ban was imminent. Harris plans to shift the blame to Trump for the Arizona abortion ban and make him own the decision.
Democrats across the United States are unifying around the central message of protecting abortion access following the 2022 Supreme Court decision ending federal abortion rights. Abortion rights and other reproductive health measures like contraception and fertility treatments have become a key focus for Democrats. President Biden’s re-election campaign has shifted to highlight women’s reproductive health, a stark departure from his previous campaign strategy. The new campaign slogan, “Donald Trump did this,” is being used to address abortion restrictions across the country.
The issue of abortion rights has become a central theme in Democratic campaigns from Florida to Arizona. Former Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell began a “Florida Freedom Tour” following a decision allowing a six-week abortion ban in Florida. Personal stories and examples of the impact of abortion restrictions are being used to demonstrate the consequences of limiting reproductive rights. The Biden campaign has announced a significant investment in ads focused on reproductive rights in key swing states, aiming to sway the presidential race in their favor.
Some within the Biden campaign worry that focusing on abortion could lead to neglecting other key issues on which the president is struggling for approval. However, abortion rights have been shown to be particularly motivating for younger voters and resonates with the broader Democratic voting base. Polls have indicated that more voters trust Biden than Trump on the issue of abortion and that a majority of voters believe abortion should be legal. Democrats are leveraging blame for the overturning of Roe v. Wade against Trump and other Republican candidates who have supported restrictive abortion legislation.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified 18 competitive races in states where abortion rights measures may appear on the ballot in November. In states with Senate races, efforts are underway to place abortion questions on the November ballot. Democrats believe that highlighting personal stories of women affected by abortion restrictions will be a powerful message in their campaigns. Democratic candidates, including some running for Congress, are sharing personal stories about their own abortions and the impact of restrictive abortion measures in an effort to mobilize support.
As the Biden campaign plans to campaign around notable anniversaries regarding reproductive rights issues in the coming months, they hope to keep the spotlight on the impact of abortion restrictions across the country. Democrats believe that the issue of abortion rights could sway the outcome of the presidential race, urging voters to consider the consequences of supporting candidates who limit reproductive rights. By focusing on the human stories behind abortion restrictions and linking those to the appointments of Supreme Court justices by Trump, Democrats aim to create a unified message that resonates with a broad base of voters.
