Here's what you need to know about VP Kamala Harris' past visits to Arizona
Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will take the stage in Glendale Friday evening for one of their last campaign stops in a tour of battleground states.
Her stop in Arizona on Friday marks her and Walz’s first appearance in the state since becoming the presumptive Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race on July 21.
Harris and Walz have spoken to crowds of thousands of voters this week in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan as part of a cross-country trip to all of the swing states.
But Harris’ visit isn’t her first time in the Valley. She has visited Arizona half a dozen times over the last four years as vice president.
Here’s what you need to know about Harris’ past visits to Arizona.
Latest news: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in Arizona
When was the last time Kamala Harris visited Arizona?
Harris has made frequent stops to the state. She most recently returned to Arizona on June 24 — the anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
She discussed the future of abortion rights to a crowd of 400 people in downtown Phoenix.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff also visited Phoenix in late July to affirm support for President Joe Biden and Harris, who were the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees at the time.
Why has Kamala Harris made visits to Arizona in the past?
Harris visited the state in the last four years to advocate for issues from solar energy to immigration and gun violence. But the topic of abortion rights has dominated the discussions during her most recent visits.
Abortion is a top issue in the upcoming Nov. 5 election and in the state after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 near-total abortion ban this year.
She made the case for abortion rights during a March 8 visit to Phoenix.
"In states across our nation, extremists have proposed and passed laws that criminalize doctors and punished women, laws that threaten doctors and nurses with prison time, even for life, simply for providing health care. Laws like those in Arizona,” Harris said.
Harris also visited to speak about abortion rights and the attempted total abortion ban in the state on April 12 in Tuscon.
During the 2020 presidential race, Biden and Harris made a joint October trip to Arizona that included a stop at Phoenix restaurant Barrio Cafe.
When did Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance last visit Arizona?
Harris and Walz’s visit is trailing behind GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s most recent appearance in Arizona. Vance visited the state for the first time as former President Donald Trump’s running-mate at Arizona Christian University in Glendale.
Vance also took a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border during his stop in the state.
At the rally, Vance said Harris is a “phony” and a “San Francisco liberal.”
“She has not received a single vote for president of the United States,” Vance said July 31 in Glendale. “The media calls it a coronation, I think we can call it a coup. And in America, we don’t crown our leaders, we vote for them.”
What can I expect at Kamala Harris’ visit on Friday?
Harris and Walz will headline the rally that is Friday evening at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
The campaign has not released details about the event, but The Arizona Republic reported that the arena can hold 19,300 people. An invitation for the event says RSVPs are at capacity.
Republic reporter Laura Gersony contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know about Kamala Harris' half a dozen past visits to AZ