CHANDLER, Ariz. – Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday urged Arizona voters to support a state ballot measure that would make abortion a “fundamental right,” making her second visit to the border state in two weeks. The visit did not mention immigration.
“Arizona, we need to fight this fight on every front,” the Democratic candidate said about reproductive rights. “And in this election, we have an opportunity at the state level to vote yes on Prop. 139 and protect our right to make our own health care decisions.”
Proposition 139 will appear on Arizona's ballots in November after collecting more than 500,000 verified signatures and clearing a legal challenge that went all the way to the state Supreme Court in August It's planned.
The initiative received a boost in support after the state Supreme Court in April lifted a stay on a near-total abortion ban enacted in 1864. The Civil War-era law was repealed last month.
“And when Congress passes legislation that restores reproductive freedom nationwide, I will proudly sign it into law as President of the United States,” Harris added.
The vice president's remarks specifically made no mention of the crisis at the southern border or her proposed plan to address the surge in illegal border crossings under her watch.
Harris, 59, became the first Democratic presidential candidate to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border on September 27, touring a portion of the border wall in Cochise County.
Later that day, Harris promised “further actions to keep borders closed between ports of entry,” including increasing penalties for border crossers repeatedly caught smuggling people into the United States and This included denying asylum to those passing through.
“I believe that the United States is a sovereign nation and that we have an obligation to set rules at our borders and to enforce them,” the vice president said last month, a message echoed by 7,000 raucous supporters Thursday. was not part of the sales pitch. .
Harris' suspension in Arizona is largely seen as a strong fight and is part of her campaign's aggressive strategy in the battleground state, which will pick up 11 electoral votes in November.
The location of the rally, the Gila River Indian Community, was a nod to the emphasis on Native American voting this cycle.
“I strongly believe that relationships among America’s tribal nations are sacred and must respect tribal sovereignty, accept trust and treaty obligations, and ensure tribal self-determination,” Harris said. he said.
“It is my promise as President of the United States to always uphold these principles,” she added.
Ahead of Harris' remarks, Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis asserted that “the Native vote has never been more important,” calling it an “Indigenous wall” in the battleground state. He said he believed it would help secure Harris' presidential bid.
Polls in the Grand Canyon State reflect a close race, with former President Donald Trump leading by less than 1 percentage point, according to RealClearPolitics' latest polling average.
Harris also cited “the late John McCain” during her speech during her push to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017, when the Arizona Republican senator voted decisively against it. I remembered.
“I'll never forget that night,” said Harris, a former California senator.
“It was like something out of a movie,” she added. “The wooden door broke open and John McCain walked into the well of the United States Senate and said, 'No, that's not it.'”
The anecdote provided an easy springboard for Harris to attack Trump over his opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
Early voting began in Arizona earlier this week, and both campaigns are in full swing in the state.
Former President Trump is scheduled to visit Prescott Valley on Sunday, and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz held dueling rallies in Tucson on Wednesday.
Temperatures reached 104 degrees in Chandler on Thursday, and several rally attendees received medical assistance inside a sweltering indoor event center.
