In the wake of two decisions related to abortion access by the Florida Supreme Court, Democrats believe there’s room for change in the state.
While the Florida justices ruled that the state’s strict laws banning abortion after six weeks could go into effect next month, a they also ruled constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to an abortion can go before voters on the November ballot. Even presumptive GOP 2024 presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump has criticized the ban for being “too harsh.”
Campaign staff for his likely opponent, President Joe Biden, said they believe he can flip the state this week after the Florida rulings.
“Our agenda, our coalition, and the unique dynamics this election presents make it clear: President Biden is in a stronger position to win Florida this cycle than he was in 2020,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez said Monday in a memo. “Make no mistake: Florida is not an easy state to win, but it is a winnable one for President Biden.”
Truthout noted that Republicans have won Florida in four out of the past six presidential elections, including Trump’s victory there over Biden in 2020.
Trump is even a resident of the state, where his Mar-a-Lago club is located.
However, Democrats did win a presidential election there in 2012, when Biden was President Barack Obama’s running mate for a second term in the White House.
Abortion has proven to be a motivating issue for voters in the past.
“The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade played a significant role in motivating key voting blocs that likely contributed to the Democratic party’s stronger-than-expected performance,” in the midterms, concluded an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted in 2022 after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Following the 2022 midterms, Biden vowed to codify Roe v. Wade.
“We will continue to stand with the vast majority of Americans who support a woman’s right to choose,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre of the rulings. “President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue to work to protect reproductive freedom and call on Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade.”
In Florida, Democrats now have their chance for “their biggest election victory yet since the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade,” said USA Today.
Last November, a poll from the University of North Florida found that 62% of survey respondents said they would vote yes on the measure to prevent abortion bans should it appear on the 2024 ballot. Still, presidential election polls cited by FiveThirtyEight don’t paint a pretty picture for Biden in the state, with Trump coming out on top in most.
In a new campaign advertisement, the president stressed his differences with Trump regarding abortion.
“He’s running to pass a national ban on a woman’s right to choose,” said Biden in the ad. “I’m running to make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again.”