SAN ANTONIO — Headlining a San Antonio rally on behalf of his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff implored attendees to make plans to vote in the November election as he continues a series of stops through Texas.
The rally, held Monday at San Antonio College, was held with 43 days to go until voters head to the polls on Nov. 5. A recent CBS News poll shows Harris up four points nationally over Trump, with contributing factors such as recent debate performance and voter's views on the economy both shifting slightly to benefit Harris.
“She’s spent her whole life getting ready for this and she’s ready to lead from day one," Emhoff said about Harris.
The Texas Democrats hosted the "Freedom to Vote" rally, which also featured Congressman Joaquin Castro, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who has been hitting the campaign trail in recent weeks for the Harris-Walz ticket.
Nirenberg called Texas a "battleground state" despite the fact it hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
“This is a city that doesn’t attack our freedoms," he said. "We look to expand them for everyone. We know in San Antonio that when we vote, we change lives.”
Emhoff later took the stage and spoke for about half an hour, referencing Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and saying the Harris-Walz campaign was preparing for similar efforts should the campaign win in six week's time.
“We have an army of lawyers, an army of people ready to defend this election," Emhoff said. "We’re going to fight.”
The rally comes as Texas Democrats aim to push back against what they claim are efforts by Texas Republicans to suppress voter turnout.
Democratic leaders across the state have called on Texans to join them in the fight against what they call “anti-democratic attempts to undermine our sacred right to vote," and multiple speakers on Monday referenced Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who recently targeted Bexar County for mailing voter registration forms.
"People die for the right to vote in this country. We cannot let that be in vain," Emhoff said. "We love our country, we love our Constitution, we love our system. And it all starts with voting—and accepting it when you lose.”
Meanwhile, Trump and Harris are continuing on the campaign trail in swing states, with the vice president rallying in Wisconsin and the former president in North Carolina over the weekend, set to make his return to the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday.