Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to launch abortion rights tour Wednesday

U.S. Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell will launch a statewide tour Wednesday slamming Florida’s abortion ban. The Miami Democrat will criticize incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Rick Scott for his prior statements supporting the state law.

“If Rick Scott thinks that he can push a national abortion ban in the Senate and back a near-total abortion ban in Florida without facing any consequences, then he has another thing coming to him,” Mucarsel-Powell said.

The tour’s first stop will be West Palm around 12:30 p.m., with state Sen. Lori Berman, a Delray Beach Democrat, also expected to attend. Mucarsel-Powell will continue to Miami for a 6 p.m. meeting on Thursday with the University of Miami Democrats. On Friday, the campaign will host a 1 p.m. public “conversation” with Miami community leaders. Officials with the campaign expect other elected Democrats to appear with the Senate hopeful.

The tour shows the latest signs Florida Democrats feel emboldened after a court decision recently added Florida to Southern states enforcing a ban on nearly all abortions.

Scott this week declined to answer in a radio interview if he would sign the six-week ban going into place in May. But last year, he posted on social media that he would sign the measure.

Now, Mucarsel-Powell plans to spotlight that position in stops across the state up until the day the restrictive ban goes into place.

“As a Latina, I’ve seen these authoritarian attacks on our democratic rights before,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “And I won’t allow Rick Scott to take away our freedoms. I am proud to stand with the nearly 70% of Floridians who support protecting abortion access, and I’m ready to show up with them this November as we fight to protect our fundamental rights.”

Mucarsel-Powell immediately pounced on a Florida Supreme Court decision that upheld the ban Gov. Ron DeSantis signed. Florida Democrats have said the ruling also created an opening for President Joe Biden to win Florida in November despite voter registrations trending rightward in recent years.