Can Charlie Crist convince Florida of his ‘pro-choice’ bona fides?

CHARLIE CRIST WINS DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION TO CHALLENGE RON DESANTIS IN FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S RACE

But his primary rival, Nikki Fried, sought to emphasize Crist’s apparent shift on the subject, pointing to his past as an anti-abortion Republican. Crist was governor of the Sunshine State for four years, winning the governor’s mansion in 2006 on a “pro-life” platform.

Crist switched parties — and eventually his stance on abortion. He then ran for governor in 2014, but lost to his successor, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, by a single percentage point. He may face an even tougher challenge this fall as he seeks to unseat DeSantis, a popular Republican governor, in an increasingly red state.

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Democrats nationally have seen some indications that their abortion rights message has energized voters after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June. Some say that enthusiasm has cut into what may have otherwise been a friendlier climate for Republicans broadly in November due to President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings and rising consumer costs.

A ballot initiative to take away the right to an abortion under the Kansas Constitution failed in that state earlier this month, and Democrat Pat Ryan won a special election this week in a swing district in upstate New York campaigning on abortion access.

Crist will need similar momentum to materialize for him to pull out a win in Florida. Polls and some analysts suggest he’ll face an uphill battle against DeSantis, who is seen as a likely presidential candidate in 2024. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has ranked the race as “likely Republican,” and a recent survey by the Public Opinion Research Lab at the University of North Florida, conducted before the primary election, found DeSantis leading Crist 50% to 42%.

Crist has already pivoted to the general election, declaring to reporters on Wednesday that he has no interest in making appeals to DeSantis supporters.

“Those who support the governor should stay with him and vote for him. I don’t want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart — keep it. I want the vote of the people of Florida who care about our state. Good Democrats, good independents, good Republicans — unify with this ticket,” he said.

As Crist looks to unseat DeSantis, one question for him is whether he can motivate voters who care about abortion access despite his prior stance on the topic.

During his first gubernatorial campaign, Crist described himself as “pro-life” but has used other language during his career, once calling himself “pro-choice, but not pro-abortion” and embracing certain limits for the procedure without banning it outright.

Now, he lists “defending reproductive freedom” as a key priority on his campaign website and has pledged to issue an executive order “defending the right to access a safe abortion” under the Florida Constitution and veto restrictions passed by the legislature.

Dr. Michael Binder, the PORL’s faculty director and a UNF professor of political science, told the Washington Examiner that although Crist’s “nuanced position” on abortion may actually be “more reflective of your average voter,” it’s unclear he’ll be able to motivate Democratic voters over the subject in the same way other politicians can.

To him, the bigger question will be whether DeSantis’s opposition to abortion and notoriety on the Left will drive turnout. In April, the Florida governor signed a bill that banned abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

“Do those folks invested in that issue turn out simply to vote against DeSantis?” Binder said. “I don’t know that he’s going to be able to mobilize them himself, but it’s possible that DeSantis can do some reverse mobilization because of who he is.”

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In the closing days of his administration, Crist as governor vetoed legislation that would have required women to get an ultrasound before undergoing an abortion, describing it as punitive. In Congress, he has voted against legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks’ gestation as well as a bill to strip Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, of federal funds.

Shortly before the primary election, Crist told WPVT News that he is for life and choice simultaneously, straddling language used by those who advocate more or fewer restrictions on abortion.

“I’m for life, aren’t you?” he said. “We all are. I’ve been pro-choice in every single decision I’ve made that affects a women’s right to choose.”

Binder called Crist’s position on abortion “complicated.”

“It is not necessarily friendly to a 30-second TV ad,” he said. “He is not in the vein of a ‘I am pro-life, and I am ready to ban all abortions for everybody,’ but he’s also not in the ‘I am pro-choice, abortion-on-demand-for-everybody’ either camp.”

The same poll that showed DeSantis leading Crist found a clear majority of voters in the state would oppose banning abortion without exception in the state.

“I don’t know too many people that are, like, ‘Yeah, like, this is a really good thing, you know, abortions eight months along.’ But there’s also people that are, like, you know, ‘Your 14-year-olds and 16-year-olds, why should they be forced to be bearing children, having children?’ Right? But that plays difficult in campaign ads.”

Advocacy groups on both sides of the contentious and newly prominent issue seemed undeterred by any such nuance. Crist, who touted his 100% congressional voting score from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, was endorsed by the group’s Florida chapter after he won the primary.

The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Candidate Fund issued a statement praising DeSantis, whom it has endorsed, and criticizing Crist.

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“Governor Ron DeSantis is a fearless advocate for unborn children and their mothers and a staunch champion for the people of Florida. He won’t be intimidated by extremist Charlie Crist,” the group’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a statement. “Thanks to Ron DeSantis’ strong leadership, thousands of unborn children are protected from abortion after 15 weeks, when they can feel pain, and he is an unflinching defender of the laws enacted by the people. Charlie Crist used to tell constituents he was ‘pro-life’ — after voting the opposite. Now he stands in lock step with the radical abortion lobby, promising to impose abortion on demand on day one as governor. Our pro-life team is on the ground in Florida working to ensure voters understand what’s at stake, and we look forward to continuing to stand with Gov. DeSantis in the fight for life.”