Trevor Hunnicutt, Gabriella Borter, and Georgina McCartney report that Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are temporarily shifting their campaign focus to Texas, a conservative state with a history of stringent abortion laws, as part of their activities leading up to November’s election. Texas, which has not supported a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976, is expected to contribute its 40 electoral college votes to Republican Trump. However, Democrats aim to leverage this backdrop to emphasize Vice President Harris’s stance on abortion rights as the election nears.
Harris plans to address concerns about the potential risks to abortion rights posed by Trump and the Republican Party if Trump is re-elected, according to campaign sources. Joining her will be women and their family members who have been affected by Texas’s anti-abortion legislation. Harris’s prepared remarks highlight the significance of this election for the future of reproductive freedom, noting the rapid rollback of women’s progress during Trump’s previous presidency.
Texas enacted a pioneering law in September 2021 that bans abortion after six weeks and permits individuals to sue those who undergo or facilitate an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court, with a conservative majority bolstered by Trump’s judicial appointments, upheld this law and later, in June 2022, overturned Roe v. Wade, effectively dismantling federal abortion rights.
Superstar singer Beyoncé is anticipated to join Harris at her Houston event, according to two sources, with “Freedom” serving as Harris’s campaign anthem. Large crowds braved the Texas heat, standing in line for hours, with some individuals fainting due to the conditions.
Trump also campaigned in Texas on Friday, recording an episode for “The Joe Rogan Experience” in Austin before traveling to the battleground state of Michigan. Although Harris’s team was in contact with Rogan’s program about a potential appearance, scheduling conflicts prevented it, confirmed spokesperson Ian Sams on MSNBC.
Recent polling indicates Trump’s eroding support among female voters since Harris’s candidacy, with Harris leading Trump by 13 percentage points among women in a Reuters/Ipsos poll from August. Trump has claimed credit for appointing the justices behind the Roe v. Wade decision’s overturn but has since courted moderate and independent voters, stating opposition to a national abortion ban and supporting state-level determination on abortion restrictions. While he advocates for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or maternal health, Trump expressed opposition in August to a Florida amendment aimed at securing abortion rights.
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe was met with disapproval from a majority of Americans, contributing to Democratic successes in the 2022 midterms and challenging Republicans to find effective messaging on the issue. A KFF survey highlighted abortion as the primary concern for women voters under 30.
In addition to Harris, Texas Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred is expected to attend the rally, as Democrats aim to bolster his campaign against Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Harris has spearheaded the Biden administration’s reproductive rights initiatives, making it a central theme of her campaign. Democrats have used personal narratives to illustrate the consequences of near-total abortion bans in 16 states.
Prior to the Houston event, Harris’s campaign released an advertisement featuring a Texas woman who was denied an emergency abortion at 16 weeks, nearly resulting in her death due to sepsis. The Center for Reproductive Rights notes that approximately seven million women of reproductive age reside in Texas. An analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics identified an increase in infant mortality in Texas following the abortion ban, with early reports also suggesting a significant rise in maternal deaths.
