Doug Emhoff touts wife Kamala Harris to NH crowd, urges reproductive freedom

CONCORD — Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, told a New Hampshire crowd Wednesday that when he got back to his phone after an event in Nantucket the night before, it was filled with messages stating, “Say it to my face.”

During what the second gentleman jokingly referred to as a “little event in Atlanta” Tuesday night, Harris challenged former President Donald Trump to face her in a presidential debate. (Trump bowed out of a scheduled September debate with President Joe Biden after Harris replaced him as the candidate.)

“I do hope you’ll reconsider and meet me on the debate stage, because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face!” Harris said.

Emhoff said when he watched the replay, he didn’t just see that “iconic moment,” but “somebody who was a leader, somebody that we can get behind, somebody who’s prosecuting a case against a felon.”

Emhoff opines on 'childless cat ladies' line, too

Emhoff on Wednesday headlined an event on reproductive freedom in New Hampshire that was part of a campaign and fundraising swing through New England originally expected to be led by first lady Jill Biden. He was in Massachusetts earlier in the week, and was headed to Yarmouth, Maine, from Concord. The events come just over a week after Biden exited the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris, who is now expected to become the Democratic nominee.

Emhoff spoke about the enthusiasm he’s seen for the campaign, citing money raised and endorsements. But he reminded the crowd Harris is still the underdog.

“We're gonna work extra hard each and every day. And I'm planning to sleep on November 6. I was going to say cat naps but … too soon,” Emhoff joked to laughs and one “meow” from the crowd. He was ostensibly referring to a comment from Trump’s running mate JD Vance, who called multiple Democratic leaders, including Harris, “childless cat ladies” in a 2021 clip from “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

Emhoff had previously visited New Hampshire in June, when he had launched a "Seniors for Biden-Harris" effort in Exeter and stopped by Durham House of Pizza.

Emhoff, speakers hammer issue of reproductive freedom

Before Emhoff came on stage, "special guest" Abby Klausner shared her story of having to get an abortion after being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

“The most effective treatment for CML is not safe during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. We tried alternative therapy, we tried really hard,” she said. “I did everything in my power to keep the baby while also doing everything we could to stop the cancer growing. But eventually I got too sick. I was hospitalized and I had to make an impossible choice to terminate the pregnancy.”

Emhoff said after he learned of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to reverse Roe v. Wade from Harris, both his 23-year-old daughter and 81-year-old mother expressed their anger to him. It’s not just a woman’s issue, he said, since the decision could be applied to other privacy rights issues like contraception and gay marriage.

“What if she lived in Texas? What would have happened to her?” he said of Klausner. “It’s much greater than just abortion. And that's why we've got to elect Kamala Harris as our next president.”

JJ Dega, a rising junior Dartmouth College from Idaho, said Emhoff is an important figure because he's signaling that “it’s OK for guys to get in on the fight” for abortion rights.

“He’s a supportive husband, he knows his wife is the star and she's making these rounds and he is supporting where he can and he's talking about the issues. It's hard for a woman to get on stage to talk about women's rights and freedoms,” agreed Dartmouth student Quinn Allred. “It's so important for people who are not directly affected to step up."

Harris leads another NH poll, with backing of young voters

An Emerson College poll released Wednesday showed Harris leading Trump in New Hampshire 48% to 41%, an increase from a November poll that found Biden leading Trump by just 3%. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took 6%. This poll followed polls last week from the University of New Hampshire and St. Anselm College showing Harris up by 6% in New Hampshire.

“This is partly driven by an increase in support among younger voters," Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a press release. “Harris has a 17-point lead among voters under 30 on the ballot with independent candidates compared to Biden leading by four among this group in November.”

A group of students from Dartmouth College at Wednesday's event said they came because they are excited about Harris.

“I think that she is a choice that energizes young voters in a way that is so refreshing and makes us so optimistic about the future,” Lucy Vitali, 20, said.

Sophie Reynolds said that before Biden stepped down, many of her friends weren’t interested in being involved and weren’t sure if they were going to vote at all. Now, she said, her friends both in New Hampshire and in her home state of Arkansas are “reinvigorated and mobilized.”

The students were also impressed by Emhoff, particularly his humor on stage.

“He worked the crowds so well,” Reynolds said. “When is he gonna get a TikTok?”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Doug Emhoff touts wife Kamala Harris to NH crowd: 'Say it to my face'