Shonda Rhimes and Gov. Josh Shapiro rally for Kamala Harris in Montgomery County

On Saturday, the Hollywood powerhouse joined with a Pennsylvania political heavyweight to rally for Vice President Kamala Harris during the campaign in Montgomery County, where access to health care for women was a central issue.

Gray’s anatomy AND Bridgerton creator Shonda Rhimes and Gov. Josh Shapiro addressed a crowd of more than 100 people at the United Food and Commercial Workers’ 1776 Plymouth Meeting office to remind voters of Harris’ intentions to ensure women have access to health care if elected president, and what They say there are threats associated with Donald Trump’s second presidency.

In a presidential election in which Pennsylvania could play a decisive role, they framed the choice between Harris and Trump as a matter of protecting not only women’s rights but also the country’s future as a democracy.

“We all talk about this being the most important election of our lives, but it really is and it’s getting closer,” Rhimes told the cheering crowd. “Democratic leaders have made great progress as a nation today: rebuilding the economy, lowering drug costs, passing the first gun safety regulation in 30 yearsand one of the most important pieces of climate change legislation in world history. We also know that the Republicans’ MAGA agenda wants to do the opposite – they want to set us back, take away our American rights and freedoms, and rig the economy for Donald’s friends.”

Rhimes, who also made several appearances in Philadelphia on Saturday, said she believes in a future where every person has the opportunity to not only survive but thrive, where everyone is free from the fear of gun violence and where women can make their own decisions about their reproductive health.

“I make up stories to support myself and why Gray’s anatomyMy job was always to come up with the worst-case medical scenario and find a way to solve it,” Rhimes said. “I can’t come up with such scenarios [Trump is proposing]and at the moment there is no solution – and that is terrifying. Someone’s life now hangs in the balance and [Trump] It’s just too extreme.”

Echoing Rhimes, Shapiro argued that Harris is the only candidate who will enshrine access to health care, including abortion, into law.

“Reproductive health care is, in some cases, abortion — abortion is health care — but it’s also the full range of health care options that women need to have,” Shapiro said in an interview. “Unfortunately, in neighboring states like West Virginia, you see women who have health care issues who literally have to cross state lines and come to Pennsylvania to access health care. We will see more of this if Donald Trump becomes president.”

With just 38 days until the Nov. 5 election, access to abortion rights remains a top issue among Pennsylvania voters. According to a post-debate poll conducted by The Inquirer, New York Times and Siena College, Harris has a 25-point lead over Trump on abortion access, with 59% of voters trusting her more on the issue.

Several at Saturday’s meeting in Plymouth said they believed access to women’s health care – including abortion, cancer screening and in vitro fertilization – would be at risk if Trump returns to the White House.

Lansdale mother Tina Perez brought her 11-year-old daughter to the campaign event not only to emphasize the importance of staying politically energetic and voting, but also to facilitate her understand what’s at stake for women in this election.

“I explained to her as we waited in line that these issues would impact her and her generation,” Perez said. “As she gets older, if she wants to exercise her rights in terms of any reproductive choices she wants to make, she needs to be aware of that now.”

Friends Ashley Levins and Sarah Volynsky said they have supported abortion rights for years and believe the November vote is necessary to ensure access to abortion.

“I think about the terrible things that happened Roe v. WadeI’m more inclined to do something about it,” said Volynski, a Wayne resident with a 15-month-old daughter.

Levins said that in addition to access to reproductive health care, she is also concerned about the overall availability of health care. Accessing this therapy is already difficult enough for people without insurance and those with pre-existing conditions, said Levins, who is a marriage and family therapist.

She said she fears the situation will worsen under Trump.