Florida's U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races this year could be impacted by the Supreme Court's expected decision on restricting abortion.
Politico, citing a leaked opinion concerning a Mississippi case, reported Monday that the court could strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., had not commented on the report as of early Tuesday morning. The governor, however, signed a 15-week abortion ban into law on April 14.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who will seek a third term in November, took to Twitter on Monday night to comment on the news.
"The next time you hear the far left preaching about how they are fighting to preserve our Republic’s institutions and norms remember how they leaked a Supreme Court opinion in an attempt to intimidate the justices on abortion," Rubio tweeted Monday night.
He also tweeted in response to a post by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., suggesting the Senate should pass a law to save Roe.
"Translation: Let’s change the rules of the Senate to pass a federal law legalizing the killing of unborn children right up to the day of delivery," Rubio tweeted.
Democrats vying to replace DeSantis and Rubio expressed outrage that Roe v. Wade would be overturned.
"Striking down Roe v. Wade and taking away a woman’s right to make her own decisions is appalling and dangerous," U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., the leading Democrat attempting to challenge Rubio, said in a statement, Florida Politics reported.
"We refuse to go back to being treated as second-class citizens whose personal decisions are made by politicians like Marco Rubio, who has fought relentlessly against the right of Florida women to control their own destiny.
"Women deserve an end to the constant politicization of our basic, fundamental rights. Let me be clear: I will always stand up, speak out, and fight to codify Roe v. Wade into law, no matter what."
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., who’s seeking to replace DeSantis, attempted to rally supporters around the reported Supreme Court decision.
"If true, the fight for a woman’s right to choose will be left up to each state to decide … and front and center in this fall’s election," Crist tweeted. "We must defeat DeSantis."
"This issue is personal to so many of us. Early in my career I was faced with the decision to protect a woman’s right to choose. I stopped a bill in the State Senate that would have required a 24-hour waiting period. As your Governor, I vetoed an anti-abortion bill. And I’ll do it again if need be — because I will always stand with women," Crist, who served as governor 2007-11, said in another tweet.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, opposing Crist in the Democrat primary for governor, also took to Twitter.
"The women of our country are under direct attack by right-wing radicals," Fried tweeted. "Overturning the freedom over our bodies is unconstitutional, unacceptable, and taking us back to a dark, dark time. If they can control our bodies, what do we have left? This cannot stand."
State Sen. Annette Taddeo, another Democrat running for governor, also blasted the court's apparent decision.
"I never thought I’d see the day when women’s rights would be stripped away. As a mother, I’m terrified for my daughter and her generation who might lose safe access to vital care. Now more than ever It’s urgent to elect a governor who will protect a woman’s right to choose”-ATG," Taddeo tweeted.
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