The Harris-Walz Reproductive Freedom bus stopped in Arizona at Borderlands Brewing Company on Friday, Oct. 11, where speakers included political activists and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. The event encouraged voters to vote “Yes” on Proposition 139.
Proposition 139 will allow voters to decide whether to enshrine abortion rights into the Arizona Constitution, ensuring that the state cannot restrict access to abortion before fetal viability — when a fetus can survive outside the womb without extensive medical intervention. Arizona’s position as a swing state in this election makes this topic even more important to people from either side, as the decision could go either way.
The voting event started with influencer and activist Deja Foxx addressing the crowd. Foxx is from Tucson and said she got her start working for a Planned Parenthood “right up the road.”
“People my age have so much on the line this election, and for women and girls across the country, thanks to Donald Trump’s abortion ban, it’s life and death,” Foxx said. “People my age are making big decisions about our lives and we deserve a president who has our back, not a power-hungry television personality who has only ever served himself.”
The next speaker was Jessica Mackler, President of Emily’s List. Emily’s List is an organization dedicated to electing Democratic pro-choice women.
Mackler said it is important to vote for Democrats and pro-choice candidates up and down the ballot this November and asked voters to decide who they trust with their future.
“Do you trust politicians who have already shown us that they will allow legislatures, politicians and courts to decide who has rights and who doesn’t? Or do we trust Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders up and down the ballot who have been fighting their entire lives to secure these rights and these freedoms and who have pledged to us that, if we elect them, they will do everything in their power to restore the rights and freedoms that have been stripped away from us?” Mackler said.
Mackler continued by supporting Kirsten Engel, candidate for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. Engel was another pro-choice candidate speaking at this event. Engel is competing against Juan Ciscomani, who, Mackler said, supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Mackler finished her speech by reminding voters that there are 25 days left until election day, which means according to Mackler, “We have 25 days to show up for Arizona, to show up for our rights, to show up for our freedoms, to show up for Vice President Kamala Harris, to show up for Kirsten Engel, to show up for democratic champions, pro-choice champions, up and down the ballot.”
Engel spoke next and talked to voters about her goal to flip Congressional District 6. Engel called Tucson “ground zero” in the fight to restore reproductive rights.
Engel reminded attendees that not long ago, the Arizona Supreme Court attempted to reinstate an 1864 abortion ban and commended the work of the people in the Arizona House of Representatives to fight back against the ban. Engel added there is still an abortion ban in place that needs to be removed.
“We still have an abortion ban here in Arizona, an abortion ban with no exceptions, even for rape or incest. We not only need to vote out the extremists at the top of the ticket, we have to vote out the extremists that are in Congress,” Engel said.
Engel spoke out against her opponent Ciscomani and his support of the abortion ban, as well as the fact that Governor Doug Ducey appointed the Supreme Court judges who tried to instate the 1864 ban. She finished by emphasizing the importance of this election, specifically in Arizona and Tucson.
“This district could hold the key to keeping the presidency, keeping the Senate, flipping the US House, flipping the Arizona House and it could be more important that our rights are on the line,” Engel said.
Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva delivered a speech that echoed previous sentiments. She recalled the fear that she and others felt during the time of the Trump administration and reminded voters of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Grijalva described instances where people she knows were scared to deliver medical care because of these bans, fearing legal trouble.
“I have friends that are OB’s that are scared to provide basic medical care until someone is sick enough, [that] they look sick enough that they’re going to die,” Grijalva said. “Why do we have those kinds of bans? Because people want to make decisions. They don’t trust us to decide about our own bodies, so they want to make the decisions for us.”
Grijalva mentioned Trump’s Project 2025, warning that if put into place, abortion would be banned nationwide. She said that Harris is the only candidate who has promised not to sign abortion bans into law and that voters need to rally to make sure that Trump does not become president again.
“Our fundamental freedoms are on the ballots, and voters across Arizona are energized and we are ready. We are ready. Arizona must be ready to elect Madame Vice President because we are not going back,” Grijalva said.
Tucson Mayor Romero addressed the crowd last. Romero started by expressing her support for Harris and Walz and their commitment to protecting reproductive rights across the country. Romero said that everything that Trump has done and plans to do in Project 2025 will restrict reproductive rights even further.
“[Trump and Senator JD Vance’s] Project 2025 agenda will give Trump merely unrestricted power and control over women in Arizona and across our nation and we don’t want that,” Romero said. “They’re doing this by banning abortion in all 50 states, with or without the help of Congress, restricting access to contraception and IVF and allowing states to monitor and report on women’s miscarriages and abortions.”
Romero left the crowd with homework, asking everyone at the rally to go and talk to their neighbors and undecided young people. Romero also asked voters to vote for every Democrat on the ballot.
Foxx said that getting young people to vote is sometimes difficult, especially when progressive young people feel like neither of the candidates accurately represents them.
However, Foxx suggested that young people can turn voting into a group project that you do with friends and people in your dorm. Foxx recommended to check-in and see if people are voting and if they have their ballots. Foxx said to be that person who has the list of who to vote for saved so you can help out your friends and family.
“This election is about us. It’s about our futures, our freedoms and we have important elections here in Arizona,” Foxx said. “Here in Arizona, we have the opportunity to elect the first woman president, to flip seats in Congress that can flip the House and deliver a Congress that can create real change and work alongside our president.”
Engel also said she supported the student community, noting that she has seen a lot of engaged young people recently.
Mackler reminded people that elections are often very narrow races and it is very common to see voters feel discouraged. Mackler said that voters shouldn’t be discouraged because their one vote does count.
“Many elections [that] have come down to just a small number of, so people should know that every day there’s an opportunity to do something,” Mackler said.
For more information on how to vote and who will be on the ballot, visit https://www.arizona.vote/
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