(C) Florida Phoenix This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Charlie Crist tries to turn up campaign with statewide events on abortion rights [1] ['Mitch Perry', 'More From Author', '- October'] Date: 2022-10-11 With Election Day just four weeks away and coverage of the cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Ian continuing to dominate the news, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist tried to refocus attention on the gubernatorial race Tuesday by hosting eight events throughout the state contrasting his record on abortion rights against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. “This is on the ballot,” Tampa Bay area Congresswoman Kathy Castor said during a press event in St. Petersburg, referring to abortion rights. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or an independent, it is time to vote on your personal rights and freedoms. Do not let Ron DeSantis roll them back. Please go out and vote.” DeSantis and the Florida Legislature earlier this year approved a 15-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, the first restrictions on abortion imposed in Florida since Roe v. Wade was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973. The law is being challenged in state court by Planned Parenthood and other groups. Democrats nationally and in Florida have hoped that the backlash to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe, could generate unexpected support in what had been predicted to a big year for Republicans. But, as the Phoenix reported last week, the percentage of new female voters in Florida who have registered to vote since Dobbs was announced has been relatively light. And with Gov. DeSantis dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s devastating impact on parts of Southwest Florida for the past two weeks, politics at the state level have essentially been frozen in time. That’s not good for Crist, who is trailing DeSantis in most major polls in the governor’s race. Crist was scheduled on Tuesday to personally appear at three “Choice Day of Action” media availabilities in South Florida, with Karla Hernandez, his running mate, to appear with him at two of those events. Crist surrogates led the charge at the other five events scheduled in Florida. In St. Petersburg, St. Pete City Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Pinellas County Democratic legislative candidates Lindsay Cross and Eunic Ortiz spoke to members of the media. “Abortion is on the ballot,” said Ortiz. “Health care is on the ballot, and we know that and that’s why this is so imperative for us to continue the conversation.” Republicans have attempted to counter the narrative on abortion rights this election cycle by claiming that Democrats are not willing to impose any limitations on abortions, saying they support “abortion on demand.” But Castor dismissed that as an outright “lie,” saying that the legislation to codify the Roe V. Wade 1973 Supreme Court ruling that she and Crist voted for in the House last year (the Women’s Health Protection Act) allows legal abortions up until the “point of viability,” which has been established to be around 23 or 24 weeks. Whether the Crist campaign can effectively reengage Florida voters on issues like abortion rights at this point is uncertain, with the deadline for new voters to register ending today while vote-by-mail ballots are being cast. Darryl Paulson, professor emeritus of government at the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, says that Crist’s opportunity to gain in the polls against DeSantis has been hurt by the hurricane. “It is DeSantis’ race to win and an uphill struggle for Crist,” Paulson told the Phoenix in a text message. “First, DeSantis is the incumbent who has raised more money than any gubernatorial candidate in Florida history. Second, he is solid with his base and popular with independents. Third, the hurricane has worked to DeSantis’ advantage. He has been able to show leadership skills and all of his media exposure amounts to millions in free publicity.” The DeSantis re-election campaign did not respond to the Phoenix’s request for comment. [END] --- [1] Url: https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/10/11/charlie-crist-tries-to-turn-up-campaign-with-statewide-events-on-abortion-rights/ Published and (C) by Florida Phoenix Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/floridaphoenix/