VP Harris visits Twin Cities as Election Day nears

Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Twin Cities Saturday afternoon to participate in a roundtable conversation about abortion rights less than a month before Election Day.

Vice President Harris sat down with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan at Metropolitan State University to talk about abortion rights and access.

“Our 23-year-old daughter will have fewer rights than my 80-year-old mother-in-law,” Harris said.

The vice president and elected officials in the Twin Cities sat down for a little more than a half hour to discuss a heavily debated topic that’s on many people’s minds ahead of the election.

“Now we are seeing an intentional restriction of rights. What is that saying about the trajectory and the direction of our country?” she said.

Flanagan was a part of the conversation as hundreds of people listened in St. Paul.

“We will bring that mama bear energy into this space to ensure that every Minnesotan has access to the reproductive health care that they need,” Flanagan said.

This visit comes as the race for the state’s top office heats up.

Republican candidate for Governor Dr. Scott Jensen criticized the vice president’s visit, saying in a statement, “(Gov. Tim Walz) and the Democrats’ reckless policies brought out-of-control crime to our communities. … We won’t see the vice president come here to be held to account because she is more focused on prioritizing closed-door fundraisers and rallies with far-left activists.”

Jensen also argued in a debate earlier this week, “Because in Minnesota abortion is a legally protected right it is not on the ballot in November. What is on the ballot in November is without question skyrocketing inflation, crime out of control.”

During the vice president’s visit, she had a different message and urged Minnesotans to pay attention to what’s on the ballot on Election Day.

“It matters who represents the people of this state and is responsible for doing justice on behalf of those people when it comes to an issue like this,” Harris said.

After the vice president’s roundtable conversation, she also attended a fundraiser for Walz in Minneapolis.

The Republican National Committee released the following statement about the vice president’s visit:

“Minnesota Democrats may see Kamala Harris as the answer to their election woes, but her presence reminds voters that Democrats continue to support the Biden agenda, which has brought their families historic inflation, lower wages, a resurging opioid epidemic, and rampant crime.”

RNC Spokesperson Preya Samsundar