Milwaukee Abortion and education have become top issues for Democratic voters in the key battleground state of Wisconsin as Vice President Kamala Harris takes over the helm of the Democratic Party and moves closer to clinching the presidential nomination at next month’s Democratic National Convention.
In a packed West Allis high school auditorium, raucous rally-goers told Fox News Digital that a woman’s “right to choose” is a cornerstone of the party’s platform and that their vote for Harris in November, along with “free” public education, was solidified.
Just outside the venue, faint chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” could be heard from a small counter-demonstration. Nearby, a single Trump flag flew high, symbolizing the tense atmosphere of a battlefield.
Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris listen to her speak during a campaign rally at West Allis Central High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
“The first thing that matters to Wisconsin voters is the right to choose,” Lester Pines, a Harris supporter and attorney, told Fox News Digital in Milwaukee.
“This is a fundamental issue in this state. It’s a state law issue before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and it has to be protected by federal law. And typically, Ms. Harris would protect that,” he said.
Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Logriguez, who endorsed Harris in her first campaign bid as a Democratic candidate, told Fox News Digital that “reproductive rights” is a top priority for Democrats.
“Every time she speaks in this room, you’ve heard it. [reproductive rights] “People were so excited,” Rodriguez said, “I’m a former nurse, so I know how dangerous it is for women to not have adequate access to reproductive health care, and she’s going to fight for that for us in the state of Wisconsin, and people know that she’s the only person doing that.”
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Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris gathered in a Milwaukee high school auditorium for their first rally since President Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. (Fox News Digital/Jamie Joseph)
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wickler told Fox News Digital at the rally that Harris “speaks exactly to the greatest hopes of Americans: a country that works for everyone and respects working people, people joining unions to expand their freedom, the freedom to vote, the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies rather than having them dictated to them by politicians.”
Wickler also said it was an opportunity for Democrats across rural, suburban and urban Wisconsin to help workers unionize and protect abortion providers from prosecution in Wisconsin, where abortion is legal up to 22 weeks of pregnancy in Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan.
“And if you’re concerned about whether the government should be able to jail doctors for practicing medicine, if you believe workers should be able to unionize, this is a great moment because there’s so much hope across the country and there’s an opportunity to move forward,” he said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris addresses supporters in West Allis, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images) (Jim Vondruska/Correspondent)
Kat Lee, a former educator who attended the rally, echoed Wickler and Rodriguez, saying, “The most important thing to me is obviously education because our education system has been turned upside down.”
A couple with a college-aged daughter also told Fox News Digital they hope to see lower tuition fees and capped loan payments under a Harris administration.
“A lot of us want to pressure our kids to go to college, but no one wants to or can afford to pay off all of that tuition and funding,” one attendee said. “So your daughter is probably thinking, ‘Mom, how am I going to pay all of this back?’ So that’s really important.”
Amy Turkoski, who attended the rally representing the local teachers union, the Madison Teachers Union, told Fox News Digital she was concerned about funding for public schools.
“We need to change the way public schools are funded in the United States. Public schools should be free and adequate for all students,” Turkoski said. “Republicans and their opponents have systematically cut funding for public education. Now that Kamala is running with Biden’s endorsement, I’m really encouraged that we might have someone who really wants to change the way public education is funded.”
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Vice President Harris was sworn in as chair of the Democratic Party and drew a large crowd in West Allis, Wisconsin, on Tuesday afternoon. (Jamie Joseph/Fox News Digital)
The rally comes amid a realignment within the Democratic Party following Biden’s abrupt withdrawal from the race on Sunday, when he announced his endorsement at X, saying he had his “full support” for Harris, shortly after suspending his reelection campaign under pressure from within his party.
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Concerns about Biden’s age and mental fitness have been growing since his disastrous debate loss to Trump last month and his subsequent public gaffes. Democratic lawmakers pressed him from the top in the days before he announced he was dropping out of the race, raising tensions and ratcheting up the pressure.
The Wisconsin Democratic Party has launched a coordinated effort to support Harris’ presidential campaign, said Brianna Johnson, communications director for the state’s Democratic Party. The effort includes 48 affiliate offices across 43 counties, employing about 160 full-time staffers who are actively engaged in door-to-door outreach, phone outreach and soliciting local support for Harris and the Democratic candidate ahead of the November election.
