California Democrats campaign on abortion rights in final election push

ByLiz Kreutz KGO logo

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

CA Democrats campaign on abortion rights in final election push

Democrats in California continue to pour money into promoting Prop 1 ahead of Election Day, a strategic move to get out the vote.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Up and down the state, it's the final push of the midterm elections.

Both Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Gavin Newsom were in Southern California on Monday where they urged voters to turn out and vote.

WATCH LIVE TOMORROW: Bay Area, California, US results for 2022 midterm elections

"Over the next day and a half, fight we will. Every single minute. Every single hour," Vice President Harris told college students at a "Get Out the Vote" rally at UCLA. "We will remember our strength is based not on who we beat down. Our strength is based on who we lift up."

The appearances by Harris and Newsom come as Democrats risk losing control of Congress. FiveThirtyEight says Republicans are favored to win the House of Representatives, and prominent Republican leaders have predicted a so-called "red wave" similar to the "blue wave" in California in 2018 when Donald Trump was president. President Joe Biden also campaigned in California last week.

On Monday, Newsom was in Orange County where there are several tight congressional races that could tip the balance of the House.

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Over the past week, Newsom - who is expected to win his reelection campaign by double digits - campaigned for candidates all across the state. On Saturday, he made an appearance at a phone banking event in San Francisco urging people to vote in key congressional races.

While Republican candidates are hitting hard on issues like the economy and crime, Democrats in California are pushing Proposition 1 -- the measure to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.

According to the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, Prop 1 is likely to pass by a wide margin, but Democrats continue to pour money into promoting the measure.

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During the campaign event in Los Angeles Monday, Vice President Harris warned college students about the future of abortion access.

"One does not have to abandon their faith, or deeply held beliefs, to believe that the government should not be telling her what to do with her body," Harris said to cheers.

Political pollster Paul Mitchell says this is strategic. He said Democrats hope it will get out the vote.

"About 45% of Democrats are saying that's why they're turning out and voting, so it puts that issue on the ballot to drive that turnout," Mitchell said. "And that might end up being good for Democrats because it keeps the discussion around an issue where they definitely have an electoral advantage."