WASHINGTON — The last time Vice President Kamala Harris was in Wisconsin, she touted President Joe Biden’s policies to promote domestic manufacturing and create jobs. On Monday, she will make Wisconsin the first stop on a multi-state tour to highlight the differences between Democrats and Republicans on abortion rights heading into the fall election.
“She’ll be going to communities, taking this fight directly to the heart of America, to discuss what needs to happen for women to continue to have the reproductive health care they need and access to abortion care,” said Kirsten Allen, the vice president’s press secretary.
The VP will be in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which declared abortion a constitutional right. The Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, thanks to the three justices appointed by then President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to keep that decision at the top of voters’ minds, as Trump is once again President Joe Biden’s likely opponent.
“It helps the Democrats make a larger argument about the dangers to our civil liberties, if the current composition of the Supreme Court is intact, or if it is even made more conservative through, perhaps, a second Trump administration,” said Kathleen Dolan, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “So the issue itself is important. But then it also allows the Democrats to frame the larger issue of a president’s control of Supreme Court nominations as an important issue.”
Harris’ nationwide tour is an attempt to energize supporters of abortion rights to turn out for the Biden-Harris ticket in November. And Wisconsin once again is poised to be a battleground state that is up for grabs in November.
Wisconsin allows abortions up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.
“The most recent polling data we have is very clear that probably 65-70% of Wisconsinites believe that abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances,” Dolan said. “They are more likely to trust President Biden with that issue than former President Trump.”
Though Dolan said Harris is the right person to speak on this issue for Democrats and even some independents in Wisconsin, she notes that the VP is not speaking to all women.
“She’s not making inroads with Republican women who by and large are pro-life,” Dolan said.
The Wisconsin Republican Party responded to Harris’ visit by shifting the focus to illegal immigration at the southern border, a winning GOP issue.
“If Kamala Harris really wants to help Wisconsin, she should go to the southern border, do her part to solve the migrant crisis, and mend the breaches in our national security,” said Chairman Brian Schimming in a statement to Spectrum News. “Wisconsinites are less safe and more vulnerable because of the Biden-Harris’ Open Borders policies.”
Republicans are trying to energize their supporters in Wisconsin, too. The national party will hold its presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee in July.