Vice President Kamala Harris’ “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour came to Raleigh on Monday.
Around 2 p.m., campaign leaders including Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and First Lady Gwen Walz of Minnesota arrived at Raleigh’s Market Hall on East Martin Street, where a large crowd of supporters was present.
With just 56 days to go until the Nov. 5 election — and less than 48 hours before Harris and Donald Trump’s first debate — the Democratic candidates’ wives spoke of holding the former president accountable for the “devastating consequences” of overturning Roe v. Wade. (In 2022, after Trump appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion.)
These are some of the key conclusions:
North Carolina is a crucial swing state.
The whirlwind tour kicked off last Tuesday in Palm Beach, Florida, and is expected to make 50 stops in red, blue and decisive states, two of which are in the Old North State, underscoring the campaign’s commitment to winning the state, observers say.
“Our path to victory goes right through North Carolina,” Emhoff told the crowd. “If we win here, we have a chance to win. But it’s going to be close.”
A day earlier, the tour bus stopped in Asheville, although he and Walz did not appear at the event.
Recent polls indicate that North Carolina is now a toss-up. Before President Joe Biden withdrew in July, analysts had predicted the state would vote Republican for Trump.
Harris has visited the state eight times this year and is expected to return on Thursday for campaign visits to Greensboro and Charlotte.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz visited Raleigh on August 29, his first visit to the state as the Democratic vice presidential candidate. He met with campaign staff, attended a private fundraiser and even stopped at Cook Out, where he had a milkshake with Gov. Roy Cooper.
Reproductive rights are key.
Emhoff also highlighted the conservative agenda of Project 2025, which aims to ban abortion nationwide.
Potential threats, he said, include restricting access to birth control, forcing states to report miscarriages and abortions in women, and jeopardizing access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
“It’s literally a blueprint to destroy our country, our way of life,” Emhoff said. “They’re literally running on a platform of authoritarianism and misogyny.” He added: “This is not just a fight for women. This is for all of us.”
In North Carolina, abortion is illegal after 12 weeks, except in cases of rape or incest or when there is a risk to the pregnant woman.
But in some other states, restrictions are stricter. In South Carolina, for example, abortion is banned after six weeks; in Trump’s home state of Florida, an amendment is on the ballot that would overturn the current six-week ban and keep abortion rights in the state constitution.
“Make no mistake, reproductive freedoms are at stake,” added North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who was also in the lineup and is running for governor. “The stakes couldn’t be higher.”
In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly clouded his position, much to the anger of anti-abortion groups and his evangelical supporters.
On Thursday, Trump told NBC News that he believes six weeks is “too short” and that there should be “more time.” But he would not say whether he would vote for Amendment 4.
The next day, he changed his position and said he would vote against the amendment, MSNBC reported.
His running mate, JD Vance, attempted to clarify Trump’s comments, telling CNN that the former president will make an announcement about the Florida referendum soon.
The fight for reproductive rights gets personal.
Minnesota First Lady Walz advocated for reproductive rights by making it personal and emphasizing her own struggle with infertility.
To conceive their two children, the Walzes used intrauterine insemination, a process they described as “an incredibly personal and difficult experience.” Intrauterine insemination, like IVF, is a common fertility procedure used by couples trying to conceive.
“Everyone should have the freedom to have their own family, and that should be your choice. Not JD Vance’s or Trump’s,” she said. “Please mind your own business.”
Also speaking in both Raleigh and Asheville was Alabama native Latorya Beasley. After struggling with infertility, her IVF treatment was halted earlier this year following the Alabama Supreme Court decision.
“It was a devastating moment for our family — financially, physically and emotionally,” she told the crowd. Eventually, she was able to get her treatment.
The 38-year-old social worker is now sharing her story and encouraging people to vote to protect women’s reproductive rights.
Democratic voters are enthusiastic.
About 200 supporters gathered at Market Hall Monday afternoon. Many wore blue-and-white Harris-Walz campaign T-shirts and chanted “Don’t go back.” Others waved signs reading “Stop Trump’s abortion ban.”
“I feel like I won the lottery,” said Adrienne Mizell, 60, a semi-retired corporate executive who managed to get a ticket to the invitation-only event at the last minute. “I just had to come. To me, reproductive rights is the most unique issue.”
Deanna Thorne, 50, a lawyer from Raleigh, also took the day off from work and arrived early at 10 a.m. She secured a front-row seat.
“I’m here because it’s a new vision, a new energy, and that’s why we’re all so engaged and energized,” she said, adding that she also plans to vote for candidates lower down the list, including Stein.[I’m voting] the whole blue ticket.”
For Clarence Dyson, 72, of Garner, it’s not just about reproductive rights. He also wants Supreme Court reform and stronger climate change legislation. “I’m fighting for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the generations to come,” he said.
Trump is stepping up his campaign among voters in North Carolina.
After largely ignoring North Carolina before Harris’ campaign kicked off, Trump has visited the state four times: on July 24, August 14, August 21 and September 6.
The most recent event occurred last Friday in Charlotte, when he received a major commendation from the Fraternal Order of Police, one of the nation’s most influential law enforcement organizations.
That night, Trump largely avoided talking about reproductive rights, instead focusing on a range of topics for about an hour, including crime, immigration and police funding.
“In many ways, we are a third world country,” he said. “When I am president of the United States, we will not take it anymore.”
