Supreme Court injected into Trump-Harris race

The Supreme Court is becoming a bigger issue in the unfolding presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

The nation’s highest court is always a hot-button issue in presidential races given the president’s power to appoint justices. But it is taking on added importance this year as Harris has become the likely Democratic presidential nominee in place of President Biden.

Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and endorse Harris as his successor means the Democratic ticket is almost certain to be led by a Black and Indian American woman. That puts a different sheen on debates over the conservative court’s impact on such issues as abortion and affirmative action.

Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court during his four years in office, and all three were part of the majority that struck down the Roe v. Wade decision. The November clash between Trump and Harris, who is trumpeting abortion rights in her campaign, will be the first since that decision.

Finally, Biden has proposed significant reforms to the court that Harris has embraced, providing a new area to debate the court’s role and power in American lif...