CONCORD, NH – On Wednesday the Harris for President campaign held a reproductive freedom rally in Concord as part of their nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedom” Week of Action. Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff was the keynote speaker for the event.
Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), NH state Senator Donovan Fenton (Dist. 10), NH state Rep. Laura Telerski (Hillsborough Dist. 35), and New Hampshire State Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley were all part of the lineup of speakers.
Buckley was the first speaker to address the 300 Harris supporters gathered in the IBEW Local 490 union hall. He urged the crowd to consider the threat to reproductive freedom posed by a potential second Trump administration. In particular, he noted the Project 2025 policy agenda, the views of J.D. Vance, and the prospect of enacting the national abortion ban they promote.
“These rights are even more at risk,” according to Buckley because “New Hampshire is the only state in New England without proactive protections for abortion access making the stakes even higher for Granite Staters.”
Representative Laura Telerski followed with her endorsement of Harris and the election’s high stakes.
“Here in New Hampshire the live free or die state, we stand with Vice President Harrisses’ unifying vision for the future of this country, one where rights and fundamental freedoms are protected and expanded, not restricted,” she said.
“One where women make their own choices about their bodies We are here today because the future of abortion access is on the ballot,” she said.
Sen. Donovan Fenton dramatically described the stakes for men in the fight for the reproductive rights of women. He told the story of the recent miscarriage his wife experienced at 11 weeks into her pregnancy and his gratitude for her ability to access appropriate medical care. He also noted since the demise of Roe v Wade this fundamental care is not available in many states, and certainly threatened.
“My family’s story is not unique. Far too many families face tragedy, face unfathomable decisions, in unimaginable situations. We were able to make decisions that were best for my family because my wife had access to reproductive healthcare,” Donovan said. “Reproductive healthcare is healthcare, period.”
Congresswoman Annie Kuster described the situation this way: ” All across the country families are facing pregnancy issues, miscarriages, and reproductive healthcare issues and they are not getting the healthcare they need,” Kuster said.
She paid tribute to President Biden for his momentous decision to step down as a candidate and to support Harris. “President Biden did not just pass the torch to Kamala Harris; he passed the torch to all of us, every single one of us. He cares about our country, he cares about our families, our community, and our future.”
Also addressing the crowd – Dartmouth-Hitchcock obstetrician Dr. Maris Toland and Abbie Klausner, who required abortion care to save her life when she was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant.
“As I fight my own battle to conquer leukemia every single day, I have never felt more passionate about the importance of fighting for reproductive freedom. If I did not have the choice to terminate my pregnancy, my story – and the stories of countless others – would have had a very different ending,” said Klausner.
The second gentleman Doug Emhoff began his remarks by describing his encounter with the two women backstage. “I got to meet with speakers backstage and to hear those stories that we are getting out there. This just shows the devastating effects of Donald Trump’s America, this hellscape Trump has created. And we are now seeing it is not just about abortion,” Emhoff said.
His proposed antidote to the state of things, met with a rousing round of applause and shouts, was this: “If you believe these issues don’t impact you well, guess what; they do. They will if we do not elect MY WIFE AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT!”
Emhoff then described the unreal pace of events from the last ten days and how he and his wife pass each other like ships in the night. He was on Nantucket at a campaign event the night before and did not see her rally in Atlanta. When he returned to his car his phone was blowing up with incoming text messages.
They read, “Say it to my face, say it to my face, say it to my face,” which got the crowd cheering, and then with a bit of sly humor, said, “ Say it to my face – which she does, from Air Force Two.”
Once he saw the replay of the moment he realized the context of the message and the significance of the moment – when Harris, referring to Trump’s remarks about debating her, said “if you got something to say, say it to my face.”
Said Emhoff, “In that moment which is so iconic, I saw somebody who is a leader, I saw somebody that we can get behind. I saw somebody who is just… prosecuting the case against a felon, calling out all the weirdness, but she was also showing an America where there is a place for every one of us.”
He noted that there were only 97 days left to election day and he asked the crowd in the room and all other NH voters to work for his wife’s victory. “ Now the work begins.”
This was the largest campaign event in New Hampshire since the reset from Biden to Harris. The large crowd was energized, and happy. They frequently applauded and cheered throughout the gathering.
Congresswoman Annie Kuster had the best line to describe the phenomena of the transformation felt by Democrats since Vice President Harris began her candidacy.
“That feeling you have had all week and you can’t define it. It’s called optimism!”