Democratic Women Voters See Vice President Harris As Trusted Messenger on Abortion Policy

Long before President Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris has been the administration’s voice on abortion rights. As part of her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour earlier this spring, V.P. Harris was the first sitting U.S. vice president¹ to visit an abortion provider and she has consistently criticized Republican efforts to limit access to reproductive health care.

The KFF Survey of Women Voters finds that many Democratic women voters see the 2024 election as a pivotal moment for reproductive health care access in this country. For example:

• A large majority (85%) of Democratic and Democratic-leaning women voters think access to safe and legal abortions has never been more at risk.
• Seven in ten (71%) Democratic and Democratic-leaning women voters think this year’s election for president will have a “major impact” on access to abortion and reproductive health care in the U.S.

With President Biden stepping aside in the first presidential election following the Supreme Court Dobbs decision, it is likely that V.P. Harris will now take on an even more important role as the Democratic Party’s spokesperson on the future of abortion policy in this country, particularly if she becomes the party’s new presumptive presidential nominee.

The Survey of Women Voters, fielded before President Biden’s withdrawal, finds that about eight in ten (82%) Democratic and Democratic-leaning women voters say they trust V.P. Harris to speak about abortion policy – including half (49%) who say they trust her “a lot” to speak on this issue.

V.P. Harris is seen as a trusted messenger on abortion among large majorities of White Democratic women voters (85%), Black Democratic women voters (76%), and Hispanic Democratic women voters (72%). She is also trusted by Democratic women, regardless of their age, but notably garners the highest levels of trust among the oldest voting group. About nine in ten (93%) Democratic women voters ages 65 and older say they trust V.P. Harris to speak about abortion policy. The youngest voting bloc – voters ages 18 to 29 – also trust her to speak on this issue but to a lesser extent (69%), perhaps reflecting their overall discontent with the Democratic Party’s action on access to reproductive health care. Three-fourths (74%) of Democratic women voters ages 18 to 29 say the Democratic Party has not done enough to ensure access to reproductive health services, compared to half of Democratic women voters ages 65 and older who say the same.

In comparison, seven in ten Democratic women voters say they approved of the way President Biden was handling abortion and reproductive health issues, including half (49%) of Democratic women ages 18 to 29.

While abortion is not the top issue overall for Democratic and Democratic-leaning women voters, thirteen percent say abortion is their most important issue in deciding their choice for 2024 president. Among this group, nearly nine in ten (88%) trust V.P. Harris to speak on abortion policy – including about half (53%) who say they trust her “a lot.”

Fielded earlier this summer prior to President Biden’s withdrawal as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, the KFF Survey of Women Voters reveals where women voters stand on the issue of abortion and how it could impact their vote in the upcoming presidential election. The KFF Survey of Women Voters Dashboard includes more data from the survey, as well as the topline and methodology.