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Vice President Kamala Harris (D)聽 stood in Ritchie Coliseum at the University of Maryland, College Park underneath a blue banner that said 鈥淭rust WOMEN鈥� in large white text.
Just underneath, in significantly smaller text, was a disclaimer: 鈥淧aid for by Biden for President.鈥�
At the Monday campaign event doubling as an abortion rights rally, supporters held hundreds of 鈥淏iden-Harris鈥� or 鈥渞eproductive freedom鈥� signs. In the upcoming general election, Democrats insist their candidates, not Republicans, will ensure that Marylanders and voters across the United States have access to abortion care.
Harris wasted little time, telling the enthusiastic crowd that a second presidency for Republican Donald Trump would pose a threat to reproductive rights across the country. The rally came on the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 Dobbs decision that , which had guaranteed abortion access as a constitutional right for nearly 50 years.
鈥淭oday, our daughters know fewer rights than their grandmothers. This is a health care crisis. And we all know who is to blame: Donald Trump,鈥� Harris said.
鈥淗e proudly takes credit for overturning Roe,鈥� she said, noting that Trump appointed three justices who were key to reversing Roe. 鈥淢y fellow Americans, in a court of law, that would be called an admission, and some would say a confession鈥�. In the case of stealing reproductive freedom away from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty.鈥�
The event also effectively functioned as a rally for Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) in her run against former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.
Harris gave a shout out to her 鈥渄ear friend鈥� Alsobrooks, whose Senate candidacy earlier this month.
If successful, Alsobrooks would be the first Black woman to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate, a glass ceiling that would echo Harris鈥檚 historic election as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to serve as vice president.
The question of abortion is expected to have an outsized role in the campaign for Maryland鈥檚 Senate seat, which has become an unexpectedly tough race in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1.
鈥淭oday is more than just an anniversary. It鈥檚 proof that we should never take for granted our liberties,鈥� Alsobrooks said. 鈥淚t is the confirmation that we must be vigilant in fighting for and protecting, with everything we have, our rights.鈥�
Alsobrooks took some jabs at her opponent, saying that Republicans hope Hogan is the key to securing a conservative majority in Congress.
鈥淭hey believe that Larry Hogan is the best opportunity that the Republicans have to get the 51st vote,鈥� in the Senate, she said. 鈥淚n fact, Donald Trump endorsed him because the two of them share something in common 鈥� they share the goal of handing the over the Senate to the Republican Party.鈥�
Trump has said in recent days that he believes the question of abortion restrictions should be left up to the states, a key part of the Dobbs decision. And Hogan, who has long said he is personally pro-life, has insisted that as senator he would defend Roe-style abortion protections.
He reiterated that in a on his campaign website in recognition of the second anniversary of Dobbs, saying that he would work in the Sentate 鈥渢o codify Roe v. Wade, as the law of the land.鈥�
鈥淎 woman鈥檚 health care decisions are her own. Whether it be the decision to start a family with the help of IVF, or exercise her reproductive rights, nothing and no one鈥攅specially partisan politics鈥攕hould come between a woman and her doctor,鈥� according to the written statement.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who spoke at Monday鈥檚 rally, went to bat for Alsobrooks and said that she would be the best choice to protect abortion access in the U.S. Senate. He ridiculed Hogan鈥檚 recent promises to support Roe-style abortion protections.
鈥淗er opponent Larry Hogan is undergoing some election year conversion like none I鈥檝e ever seen,鈥� Van Hollen said. 鈥淭his guy now goes around saying that he鈥檚 quote, 鈥榩ro-choice.鈥� The problem is he has a record that tells us the exact opposite.鈥�
Democrats, including Alsobrooks, have criticized Hogan鈥檚 claims on abortion rights, pointing to his previous actions as Maryland governor.
Hogan in 2022 that would have expanded abortion access in the state.聽When the legislature overrode his veto, Hogan withheld state funding to train nonphysicians to perform abortions, funding that Gov. Wes Moore (D) released on聽
鈥淪o now we see Larry Hogan bobbing and weaving. Zigging and zagging. Flipping and flopping,鈥� Van Hollen said. 鈥淎nd as we watch this, we know one thing鈥檚 for sure: Marylanders just cannot trust Larry Hogan with this one.鈥�
Hogan鈥檚 campaign 鈥� which released a video Monday criticizing Alsobrooks鈥� as county executive 鈥� pushed back on the characterization that he has 鈥渇lipped鈥� on supporting Roe v. Wade.
鈥淕overnor Hogan protected choice in Maryland for eight years as Governor, funding access to abortion in the budget every year and being the first governor in America to provide over-the-counter birth control paid for by Medicaid,鈥� according to an email from the campaign. 鈥淚n the Senate, Governor Hogan will work to reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.鈥�
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