Kamala Harris’ path to bolstering her support could hinge on unifying voters who align with her stance on abortion. Unlike President Joe Biden, the Democratic frontrunner has been more persuasive on this issue, an area where Biden’s support waned from 2020 to 2024, as indicated by multiple public polls.
Biden’s decline among abortion rights supporters mirrored his struggles with other voter groups, with concerns about his age playing a part. This decline highlighted a risk for Democrats: the diminishing salience of abortion compared to issues like inflation, exacerbated by Trump’s efforts to minimize the topic.
VP Kamala Harris Harris, however, may better energize and mobilize voters
Harris leading the ticket presents Democrats a chance to refocus on abortion and reclaim support among abortion rights advocates who had drifted from Biden. “She addresses it more effectively than Biden,” said Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg, a sentiment shared widely within the party.
Biden’s lower support among abortion rights voters in 2024 marked a remarkable shift from previous elections, where these voters overwhelmingly backed him and other Democrats. In 2020, he garnered about three-fourths of these voters, similar to the support for Democratic House candidates in 2022.
Despite an increased percentage of voters favoring legal abortion post-Dobbs decision, Biden’s current support has slipped. Polls from Marquette, CNN, and others show him capturing a smaller share of abortion rights supporters compared to previous years.
State-level data echoed these findings, with Biden’s support in key swing states lagging behind his 2020 and 2022 performances among these voters. Harris, however, may better energize and mobilize these voters, potentially restoring some of the support Biden lost.
