DeSantis Is Going All Out to Defeat Florida’s Abortion Ballot Question
The New York Times
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a strict abortion ban, has become the face of a campaign against the referendum, which would allow abortions “before viability.”
The campaign against the most contentious ballot question in Florida this year — an abortion-rights measure known as Amendment 4 — was relatively quiet until recently. But on its side all along was the most powerful figure in Florida politics: Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has gone all in on leveraging his considerable executive power to try to defeat the proposal.
Mr. DeSantis signed a ban last year on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, revving the Amendment 4 campaign into overdrive and putting fellow Republicans in the difficult position of having to defend an unpopular ban or defy the popular governor.
Last month, he gave shout-outs to Florida Republicans who had opposed the abortion amendment or contributed to the campaign against it, putting those who had not on the spot.
“Every one of our elected representatives needs to say where they stand on this,” he said at a state party dinner. “Some are not saying anything or offering to help us defeat this.”
The governor’s offensive might work. Under Florida law, ballot questions must receive 60 percent support to pass, a higher threshold than abortion-rights ballot measures have had to meet in other states.
Most public opinion polls show support for Amendment 4 barely reaching the threshold or just under it, though a recent poll by The New York Times and Siena College found support among likely voters much lower, at 46 percent.
Democrats swept a school board election in Bucks County after Republicans instituted book bans and other changes. But the right-wing “parental rights” movement has left an indelible mark.
Top military leaders and high-ranking former officials from his administration have issued warning after warning that Donald J. Trump would rule as a dictator if given the chance.
After two heat strokes and damaged kidneys, José Delgado remains stunned that Florida banned counties from enacting protections for outdoor workers.
The event, hosted at a church in the Bronx, served as the unofficial start of the city’s 2025 mayoral race.
The endorsement has roiled Hamtramck, Mich., angering many in the Muslim community, as well as longtime residents who welcomed the newcomers.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tried to get Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to envision a U.S.-backed plan for ending the war in Gaza, but there was no sign of progress.
The two biggest cities in America have as many differences as similarities — including in public transportation, ballparks and payrolls
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a strict abortion ban, has become the face of a campaign against the referendum, which would allow abortions “before viability.”
Six House seats, including five held by Republicans, may be the key in determining which party will control the chamber for the next two years.
The New York congresswoman’s foray onto the presidential campaign trail may be a turning point for her and her party.
Roger and Reynold Voisine, from upstate New York, used weapons that included a pipe, a police shield and a table leg studded with nails, prosecutors said.