With just 11 days to go until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris will rally with supporters in an unlikely state on Friday: Texas.
While a Democrat hasn’t won the Lone Star State since Jimmy Carter in 1976, Harris’ campaign has its sights set not on the 40 electoral votes the state holds, but on its laws concerning reproductive freedom. Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. The issue has been a defining one for Harris’ campaign, and she is expected to hammer her opponent, former President Donald Trump for his past comments saying he was proud to have helped overturn Roe by appointing three of the six justices to the Supreme Court who overturned the landmark ruling.
“Donald Trump still refuses to even acknowledge the pain and the suffering he has caused. He insists that ‘everybody wanted to be overturned,' which is just a further example of how out of touch the man is,” Harris said at her rally Thursday night in Clarkston, Georgia.
Harris will be joined by individuals who have been impacted by abortion restrictions across the country, including Shanette Williams, whose daughter Amber Nicole Thurman died after she was unable to access legal abortions and timely medical care in her home state of Georgia. Other guests will include Amanda and Josh Zurawski, the Texas couple who led the lawsuit against Texas’ abortion bans and have been vocal supporters of Harris since sharing their story at the Democratic National Convention earlier this year.
With such a tight race, the Harris campaign has continued to double down on the issue of reproductive rights.
Ahead of her speech in Houston, the campaign will launch a new ad entitled "He Did It," that will highlight Trump’s past comments on Roe. Earlier this week, the campaign launched an ad featuring Ondrea, a Texas woman who was denied an abortion and nearly died from sepsis and may not be able to get pregnant again.
Texas Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, who is running against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, in a highly competitive race, will also speak at Friday’s rally. Harris’ appearance could give Allred a boost, which experts say could benefit Harris in the long run if she is elected president.
“If she's president, she wants to have the Senate and the House on her side – she will not be able to govern as president if she doesn't have one or both [the] House and the Senate under control of Democrats,” said Michael Genovese, a professor at Loyola Marymount University. “This is an investment in the future, plus all campaigns are national, no matter where you go, that's reported and there's ample coverage. And so going to a state like Texas, she knows she won't win that state, but what she's doing is she's trying to basically help other Democrats.”
Campaign data shows reproductive rights are the most salient issue for voters who remain undecided, according to a senior campaign official granted anonymity to discuss the planning of the Friday event. That official said undecided voters align with the Vice President firmly when they are told about Harris’ plan to codify Roe v. Wade and given information about Project 2025, the far-right policy agenda that Trump has sought to disavow, even though members of his administration and allies contributed to it.
Harris is also set to be joined by pop music icon Beyoncé, according to sources familiar.
During her swing through Texas, Harris will also sit for an interview with podcaster Brené Brown to continue the conversation around reproductive freedom.