Florida Democrats celebrate abortion ballot placement, argue state is ‘winnable’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Democratic Party and other political figures celebrated the Supreme Court of Florida’s ruling on Monday allowing for a pro-abortion ballot amendment this November.
The party’s chairwoman, Nikki Fried, argued Florida is “winnable” for President Joe Biden and other Democrats in November.
“Today’s rulings prove exactly what is at stake at the ballot box,” Fried said in a statement. “Florida is now home to one of the strictest abortion bans in the country — a ban so extreme that most women won’t even know they’re pregnant before they pass the cutoff date.”
“Reproductive rights initiatives have won on every ballot since Donald Trump paved the way for the fall of Roe v. Wade, because the majority of Americans agree that doctors should decide what’s best for their patients — not the government,” she said.
Along with the court’s decision to uphold the ballot initiative, the body also decided to constitutionally uphold the state’s 15-week abortion ban, passed by the legislature in 2022. The decision triggers the 2023-approved six-week ban to take effect next month.
“This November, it’s not just access to safe, legal abortion that’s on the line — it’s access to emergency medical care, medication abortion and contraception for the millions of women who depend on it each year,” Fried said.
The chairwoman doubled down on her optimism about the decision, claiming that the state is “winnable” if Floridians chip in and support the cause.
Several lawmakers across the state joined in support of the amendment and optimism about 2024 Democratic victory, including Reps. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, Rita Harris, D-Orlando, and Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens.
Jaimie Harrison, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, echoed Fried’s sentiment, expressing his support for the state flipping blue in November.
Since the decision, the state party has attempted to closely tie former President Donald Trump and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., with the support of total abortion bans in the state and nationwide.
A recent ad by the Democrats show Trump celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, arguing that he “doesn’t trust women.”
The former president has distanced himself from hardline pro-life positions, going so far as to disapprove of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of the six-week ban in Florida.
Vice President Kamala Harris has made attempts to visit the state throughout Biden’s presidency, including a recent trip relating to gun control in March and an abortion-related event in Tallahassee last year.
The Republican Party of Florida surpassed over 850,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats in the state in early March. The process included flipping multiple counties that had previously been majority blue.
