Harris delivers a national message on abortion rights from reliably red Texas

As the presidential race comes to a close, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have been crisscrossing the country, hitting swing states and working for every last vote.

Although Texas hasn’t endorsed a Democratic candidate for president since 1976, that hasn’t stopped Harris from winning over voters.

Harris’ rally in Houston Friday focused on reproductive rights and the dangers she said Trump could pose to abortion access if he is re-elected president.

“Texas, what is happening in this state and in our country is a health care crisis,” she said. “And Donald Trump is the architect of it.”

“Let’s be clear: If Donald Trump wins again, he will ban abortion across the country,” Harris warned.

“We are 11 days away from an election that will decide the future of America, including every woman’s freedom to decide over her own body,” Harris said.

Superstar singer Beyoncé appeared on stage with Harris at the rally, the latest injection of star power into the vice president’s campaign.

“We are all part of something much bigger,” the singer said. “We need to vote, and we need you.”

Trump, meanwhile, rallied his supporters in Austin on Friday. He lashed out at Harris’ southern border policy and repeated his claims that illegal immigration has turned the US into a “dustbin for the world.”

Trump also took issue with a federal judge’s decision to reinstate more than 1,600 voter registrations in Virginia that she said had been illegally purged. At his rally today, Trump claimed without evidence that Harris was involved in that decision.

“Removing illegal voters from the voting rolls should be a major priority for this country,” Trump said. “And yet instead we are held in contempt by a judge. This is downright un-American and it is election interference and Kamala Harris is very supportive of it.”

Trump also joined podcast host Joe Rogan for a taping of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Trump has appeared on several other podcasts as part of his efforts to shore up support among young men.

The polls remain deadlocked

Numbers from the latest New York Times/Siena College poll show that Harris and Trump receive the same number of votes, 48% against 48%. The survey of more than 2,500 likely voters across the country took place from October 20 to 23.

The poll shows that 15% of voters said abortion was the No. 1 issue in this election. Only the economy was higher on the list of top themes.

Among voters who said abortion was the most important issue, 55% of voters said they supported Harris, compared to 40% who said Trump.