Tammy Baldwin: Electing Kamala Harris means saving the Supreme Court

Lesbian Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) knows all eyes are on her state as we hurtle toward election day on November 5th. Wisconsin is considered one of the most critical swing states in winning the presidential campaign, which means voters there will play a big part in determining the future of our country far beyond the next four years.

Baldwin, who has served in the Senate since 2013 and was the first out gay person elected to the Senate in U.S. history, has taken the Harris-Walz campaign trail by storm, working to convince her constituents that Vice President Kamala Harris is the country’s best chance at an equitable future for all Americans.

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Wisconsin is the swing state needed to win the presidency. Can Democrats do it?

With less than two weeks to go until election day, politicians and LGBTQ+ organizations tell LGBTQ Nation what’s at stake for the Badger State.

Harris marks “a new beginning for our party and for our country,” Baldwin told the crowd at the vice president’s first presidential campaign rally, which took place in her state. “I know that we will not only fight,” she added. “I know that we will win.”

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Baldwin, who has long been a champion for LGBTQ+ rights, has also been working to convince Wisconsin voters that she is her state’s best chance in the Senate. Her opponent in this year’s race, Republican Eric Hovde, is running on a staunchly anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion platform. He has called being trans “insanity” and was in favor of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

With only days until the election, LGBTQ Nation spoke with the senator via email about what’s at stake for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

Related

Wisconsin is the swing state needed to win the presidency. Can Democrats do it?

With less than two weeks to go until election day, politicians and LGBTQ+ organizations tell LGBTQ Nation what’s at stake for the Badger State.

LGBTQ NATION: The next president could have a chance to pick enough new Supreme Court justices to change the court’s ideological balance. How could the Harris-Walz campaign best communicate these stakes to Wisconsin voters? Is this something that people in Wisconsin are prioritizing?

Sen. Tammy Baldwin: When the Supreme Court overturned Roe and sent us fifty years into the past, they also signaled they weren’t just interested in taking away abortion rights. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas put out an open invitation to reconsider the court’s previous rulings in Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell – historic precedents that codified rights to contraception access, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.

We can’t let our freedoms be determined by a few unelected justices, so I introduced my Respect for Marriage Act and fought to make it law. And in a divided Senate, I brought 12 Republicans on board with all the Democrats to pass the bill into law. Now, same-sex and interracial couples can go to sleep at night knowing that their love is recognized and protected. Together, we stood up to the extremists and won.

But our work isn’t over.

The Dobbs decision was a stark wake-up call and demonstrated just how swiftly and dramatically protections we considered fundamental rights can be stripped away. This active Supreme Court has made it their intention to roll back as many rights and freedoms as they can. And with Trump having appointed two right-wing justices to the Court during his last term, there is a very real risk that he could have the opportunity to do so again if he is reelected.

The stakes could not be higher in this election. Once again, Wisconsin is the key battleground state to watch, and Wisconsin voters will have the power to decide who controls the Senate, the White House, and ultimately the future of our nation.

How is your campaign working with local organizations to spread your message and attract LGBTQ+ voters to the polls, not only for the presidential election but down-ticket state legislative races, which are seeing a record-breaking number of queer candidates?

The best way to address voter concerns is to show up, listen, and deliver. I don’t write off any area of our state — whether it’s red, blue, or purple, or rural, urban, or suburban. My job is to represent all Wisconsinites, and that means understanding the everyday issues facing Wisconsin families and knowing when to work across the aisle for what’s best for them.

When folks see results, they feel more encouraged to turn out and vote because they know their voices are heard and valued.

Voters in your state say their top concern this year is the economy, even though Wisconsin has a low unemployment rate of 2.9% and average income has been increasing in the state since President Biden took office. Why do most people in Wisconsin believe that the economy isn’t working for them? How do you talk to them about economic issues?

This progress isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the families in our neighborhoods starting their own businesses, the students who are the first in their families to earn a college degree, and growing opportunities for workers in our communities. However, there is still more work that needs to be done.

When I travel across Wisconsin, I hear from families struggling with the rising cost of living. That’s why I’m proud to be leading efforts to pass legislation that’ll cut the costs of housing, child care, and everyday items. I will continue working tirelessly to help alleviate some of the most pressing financial burdens for Wisconsin families so that they can have the opportunities to get ahead.

Republicans have capitalized on promising to bring manufacturing back to Wisconsin and depicting Democrats as out-of-touch elitists who ignore the state’s rural voters. What messages do you think are resonating most with voters this time around?

I’m proud to have introduced landmark job training legislation that would scale up Wisconsin’s apprenticeship programs and provide more people with the skills they need to succeed.

I’ve also worked across party lines to pass my bipartisan Manufacturing Universities Act, and now this law is helping engineering programs across the country meet the demands of modern manufacturing. I am committed to supporting Made in America and Made in Wisconsin initiatives to back up our industries and keep our workers going strong.

A new Labor Day report said that Wisconsin workers’ wages are up and the racial and gender gaps they face are smaller, but the scarcity and cost of child care continue to keep some Wisconsin residents from joining the workforce, especially as housing costs rise and union membership dwindles in the state. How do you think a Harris victory might help address these issues?

Everything starts with a good-paying job that pays the bills. I’ve been proud to champion my Buy America rules in multiple pieces of federal legislation, including our historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Now, when new bridges, roads, waterways, and broadband are being built all across the country by the new administration, American materials are being used to do it.

I’m also working to tackle the housing crisis caused by big Wall Street investors who are buying up housing to get unfair tax deductions and make a profit at the expense of working Americans. Finally, I’m working to cut childcare costs for Wisconsin families.

But we need to fix the system as a whole, so I’m fighting to pass the Child Care Stabilization Act and the Child Care for Working Families Act, which will support our child care workforce and bring down costs for our families.

Vice President Harris is exactly in alignment with all of this work. Democrats are committed to strengthening and delivering for our middle class. She’s proposed an economic plan that would cut some of the most pressing costs burdening families, cut taxes for working families, help Americans achieve their home ownership dreams, protect benefits like Social Security, and expand opportunities to help our families get ahead and build generational wealth. This is in stark contrast to Donald Trump and his MAGA allies on the ballot, like my opponent, Eric Hovde.

These are people who want to cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy at the expense of working families, repeal the ACA, gut social security, and pass a national abortion ban. Vice President Harris is working to deliver solutions for these issues and build on all the progress that’s been made. Donald Trump will undo all that work so that the ultra-wealthy and out-of-touch like himself can keep getting ahead at the expense of working families.

Wisconsin is part of the Democrats’ “blue wall” strategy. Biden won Wisconsin in 2020, along with Democratic wins for the governorship and the critical position of state attorney general in 2022. Wisconsin also gained a progressive majority on the state Supreme Court in 2023. How have these wins translated into changes that benefit voters in your state?

Wisconsin voters have made it clear they want leaders who will stand up for their rights and protect their freedoms. The victories we’ve seen show just how strong this commitment is.

And it’s not slowing down.

These wins have allowed us to move forward with real, meaningful change, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. We’re making sure those investments get put to work now and into the future, so Wisconsinites can feel the benefits in their everyday lives.

I’m excited to keep the momentum going, working with the next administration to keep delivering for the people of Wisconsin.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Originally published here.