Charlie Crist says Ron DeSantis will outlaw abortion rights if re-elected
Screen shot from Charlie Crist campaign statement on abortion.

Screen shot from Charlie Crist campaign statement on abortion.
'Gov. Ron DeSantis will try to outlaw abortion completely,' Crist charged.

Calling Friday’s Supreme Court ruling ending 50 years of law under Roe v. Wade an attack on women and freedom, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist said Friday that abortion rights are on the line in the gubernatorial election.

The leading Democratic candidate in the 2022 contest restated his vow to support abortion rights and said that will be a pivotal issue in the 2022 election against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Without these protections, Governors like Ron DeSantis will try to outlaw abortion completely,” Crist said of Friday’s Supreme Court decision handed down in the landmark abortion case.

“Make no mistake: Gov. Ron DeSantis is not on the side of women and reproductive freedom. Now more than ever, we need to fight tirelessly for the right to choose against this Governor’s forthcoming attacks,” Crist added. “The stakes of this election could not be higher.”

DeSantis has been busy with memorial services in Surfside Friday, one year after the catastrophic collapse of a condominium there killing 98 people. He had made no statements Friday morning about the Supreme Court decision.

Crist pushed for a contrast in anticipation of what he expects DeSantis might do.

“Women of Florida and across the country, I am firmly on your side,” Crist said. “And once elected Governor, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect your right to make decisions about your body.”

Crist first must win a Democratic Primary against Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, whose pro-abortion rights stance has never wavered or been questioned. Fried has tried to characterize Crist, a former Republican, as flip-flopping on the abortion issue. She has charged that when Crist was a Republican Governor 15 years ago, he appointed anti-abortion judges in Florida.

On Friday, Fried issued a statement declaring, “This is a tragic day for women in America.” She added that Friday’s decision in the Dobbs case is the result of Republicans’ “war on women.”

Crist on Friday repeated his pro-abortion rights credentials, including a reference to when he vetoed an anti-abortion bill while Governor.

“I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again,” he said.

He also repeated his vow, if elected, to sign an executive order on his first day in office banning any state action to thwart abortion rights. Among other things, that order would prohibit state agencies that report to the Governor from aiding or participating in any attempt to prevent abortion, or to criminally charge any individual seeking an abortion or any licensed doctor in Florida, under standards set forth by Roe v. Wade.

“I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I believed that as a state Senator, I believed it as your Governor, and I believe it now as a Congressman and candidate for Governor,” Crist said. “That is why I am the only candidate running for Governor of Florida who has proposed concrete steps to protect a woman’s right to choose.”

Scott Powers

Scott Powers is an Orlando-based political journalist with 30+ years’ experience, mostly at newspapers such as the Orlando Sentinel and the Columbus Dispatch. He covers local, state and federal politics and space news across much of Central Florida. His career earned numerous journalism awards for stories ranging from the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster to presidential elections to misplaced nuclear waste. He and his wife Connie have three grown children. Besides them, he’s into mystery and suspense books and movies, rock, blues, basketball, baseball, writing unpublished novels, and being amused. Email him at [email protected].


18 comments

  • Peri Jetton

    June 24, 2022 at 1:15 pm

    As the mom of two sets of natural twin I hope so!

    • marylou

      June 26, 2022 at 11:35 am

      Peri, As a mom, you should respect your children’s right to decide what to do with their own bodies and lives. You made your choice; It’s their turn now. Don’t cheapen the gift of motherhood by forcing it on other people.

  • Impeach Biden

    June 24, 2022 at 1:32 pm

    Democrats have nothing else. This is their go to campaign platform. They can’t talk about fuel prices, inflation, stock market crumbles, the southern border, crime, etc. They have nothing else. So this is what we will here from now on. Everything else is okay.

    • Lockup Trump

      June 25, 2022 at 2:42 pm

      Trolls all over these boards bitching about things that GOP have a hand in. Fuel prices and inflation are globally up not just in the US but it was the GOP who voted against a bill to help reduce fuel costs, it voted against a bill to alleviate the shortage of baby formula but also caused the shortage by banning Canadian imports. By manipulating the supreme court over its period in government overturned the right to abortion even though the majority of Americans were against it. It is Republicans who are desperate

      • TRUMP 2024

        June 27, 2022 at 10:13 am

        I see Pres. Trump owns lots of space in your empty head!

  • Charlie "babykiller" Crist

    June 24, 2022 at 1:35 pm

    Crist is running on killing babies. What a sick individual!

    • Impeach Biden

      June 24, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      Desperate times for Charlie Crist.

  • tom palmer

    June 24, 2022 at 3:39 pm

    That will be up to the corrupt Legislature, but we could be back to coat hangers in Florida before you know it.
    .

    • Impeach Biden

      June 24, 2022 at 4:18 pm

      Sure drama queen. Abortions are down across the country. Many use the morning after pill, but you drama queens want to try and scare people. At some point your party will call this decision racist. Sam old tired game plan we have seen for years.

      • marylou

        June 24, 2022 at 5:52 pm

        The religious extremists want to ban the morning after pill—- along with ALL contraceptives. Ronnie is taking his orders from the Catholic Church. People should be scared.

        • tom palmer

          June 25, 2022 at 5:02 pm

          It isn’;t just some Catholics. It is the entire barefoot and pregnant brigade

        • Stu Pidisting

          June 27, 2022 at 7:05 am

          Abortifacients are not medicine. Medicine is a chemical you use to correct something wrong in your body. When a woman’ is pregnant, her body is functioning like it is supposed to function. It doesn’t need medicine–just nutrition and exercise, just like it has for the last million years or so. Taking an abortifacient because you don’t want to be pregnant is like throwing acid in your eyes because you don’t like what you see. It is not only stupid, it is tragically stupid.

  • JD

    June 24, 2022 at 4:21 pm

    This ruling on the Dobbs case has the ability also unravel the whole legal basis of parental rights, but they knew that right? Because they don’t care, because they all are CINOs.

    Careful what you wish for and how you go about to obtain it.

    Life’s not like a box of chocolates. It’s like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today may burn your ass tomorrow.

  • Tom

    June 25, 2022 at 8:17 am

    Charlie “chameleon” crispy critters will be “spat” out by Floridians. Independents reject liars, they love DeSantis. Hispanics know he’s not for them, they love DeSantis. Repub. Will reject chameleon

    He will be spat out, 95% or more love DeSantis. They know they are re electing him to run for President! Chameleon is a hypocrite.

  • Arora

    June 25, 2022 at 2:29 pm

    Hi ! I am Arora & I’ll be your personal coach and will guide you in starting with an online business..iil if you are interested in making $90 hourly and up to $12000 a month then follow link…𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝟮𝟰.𝗰𝗼𝗺

  • Wilma

    June 27, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    Hi ! I am Wilma & I’ll be your personal coach and will guide you in starting with an online business..qad if you are interested in making $90 hourly and up to $12000 a month then follow link… 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞𝟐𝟒.𝐜𝐨𝐦

  • Just a comment

    June 28, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    Great place to troll with the robot 🤖👽 but I rather troll Hindi

  • It's Complicated

    June 29, 2022 at 2:28 pm

    Clearly, the fact that Crist has flip-flopped on every major fiscal and social issue is NOT a factor in Democratic Primaries. Clearly it IS a factor in statewide General Elections where he’s lost his last several races since going Blue. In this case, it’s not that complicated.

Comments are closed.


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