Abortion, 'free' education among top issues for Harris voters at Milwaukee rally
MILWAUKEE – Abortion and education are among the top issues for Democratic voters in key battleground state Wisconsin, as Vice President Kamala Harris takes over the helm of the Democratic Party and inches closer to securing the DNC presidential nomination next month.
In a packed high school auditorium in West Allis, raucous rallygoers told Fox News Digital that a woman's "right to choose" is a fundamental party platform policy that has their vote locked in for Harris this November, as well as "free" public education.
Just outside the venue, faint chants of "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" drifted from a small counterprotest. Nearby, a solitary Trump flag waved high, epitomizing the charged battleground atmosphere.
Lester Pines, a Harris supporter and attorney, told Fox News Digital in Milwaukee that what's "important for Wisconsin voters first of all, is the right to choose."
"And it's a fundamental issue in this state. Because before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in state law matters, and it has to be protected federally, and commonly, Harris will protect that," he said.
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodgriguez, another supporter of Harris at her first campaign stop as the presumptive Democratic nominee, told Fox News Digital that "reproductive rights" are at the top of the list for Democratic voters.
"You've probably heard that in this room, whenever she talks about [reproductive rights] people were very, very animated," Rodriguez said. "I'm a nurse by background, I know how dangerous it is when women do not have full access to reproductive care. She's going to fight for that for us here in Wisconsin. And people know, she's the only one doing that."
Ben Wickler, the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, told Fox News Digital at the rally that Harris is "speaking exactly to people's greatest hopes for a country that works for everyone, that honors working people, where folks can join a union where they can expand the freedom, the freedom to vote, to make their own decisions about their own body, instead of politicians telling them what to do."
Wickler also said it's an opportune moment for Democrats in Wisconsin spanning across rural, suburban and urban areas to support workers' ability to unionize, as well as protect abortion providers against charges. In Wisconsin, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks in Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan.
"And if you're concerned about whether the government should be able to jail doctors for providing health care, if you think that workers should be able to join a union, this is a great moment because there's tremendous hope across the country and an opportunity to move forward," he said.
Kat Lee, a former educator at the rally, echoed Wickler and Rodriguez, saying, "Obviously, education is the most important one to me, because the education system is upside down."
A couple who have a college-aged daughter also told Fox News Digital that lowering tuition costs and capping loan paybacks are what they're hoping will happen under a Harris administration.
"So many of us want to stress our kids to go to college, but who wants to pay back all of the tuitions and the funding, and you don't have it you know," a rallygoer said. "So I know that she's like, 'Mom, how I'm gonna pay back all of this?' So those things are really important."
Amy Turkoski, a rallygoer representing local teacher's union Madison Teacher's Inc., told Fox News Digital she's concerned about funding for public, schools.
"We need to change how we fund public school in the United States. Public schools should be free and appropriate for all students," Turkoski said. "And the way the Republican Party and the other side of the aisle has really systematically defunded public education. Now that Kamala is running with Biden's blessing, I feel really energized that we'll find someone who really wants to change how we fund public education."
DEM VOTERS AT MILWAUKEE RALLY SAY THEY'RE FIRED UP FOR HARRIS: 'UNITED AND ENERGIZED'
The rally comes amid a backdrop of rearranging within the Democratic Party after Biden's abrupt exit from the race on Sunday. Shortly after he suspended his re-election campaign amid internal party pressure, Biden endorsed Harris, saying on X that she has his "full support."
Concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity have been building since his disastrous debate performance against Trump last month, followed by subsequent public gaffes. Congressional Democrats raised the temperature and added to the pressure, as top leaders urged him to drop out of the race in the days leading up to his announcement.
Democrats in Wisconsin have launched a unified effort to bolster Harris' presidential campaign, according to Brianna Johnson, the campaign's Wisconsin communications director. The initiative includes 48 coordinated offices spread across 43 counties, employing approximately 160 full-time staffers who are actively engaged in door-to-door canvassing, phone outreach, and mobilizing community support for Harris and Democratic candidates ahead of November's elections.