Jesse Scheckner
The Sunshine State political arm of America’s single largest reproductive health services provider is behind Democrat Joe Saunders’ bid to flip House District 106 back to blue in November.
Saunders’ campaign announced an endorsement from Florida Planned Parenthood PAC, a Sarasota-based political action committee that supports pro-abortion candidates.
“Planned Parenthood PAC has endorsed Joe Saunders for State Representative in House District 106 because he is ready to fight hard for reproductive rights in Tallahassee,” Florida Planned Parenthood PAC Political Director Michelle Grimsley Shinando said in a statement.
“We need public servants like Joe to fight back against extremist politicians who are trying to strip Floridians of their rights and push dangerous agendas.”
Saunders, a founding member of the Floridians for Reproductive Freedom coalition and Senior Political Director of LGBQT advocacy group Equality Florida, made history in 2012 as one of the first openly gay members of the Legislature. He served one term representing the Orlando area. Now, he’s running to represent a coastal northeastern portion of Miami-Dade County.
Standing in his way is freshman Republican Rep. Fabián Basabe, who skipped voting on Florida’s six-week abortion ban and later filed, then rescinded, a bill that would have banned abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Access to abortion services was federally protected for close to 50 years until the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, returning control of the matter to the states. Later that year, the Republican-dominated Legislature banned abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy without exceptions for rape or incest. In 2023, they passed a so-called “Heartbeat Protection Act” to prohibit the process after six weeks, with exceptions, but when many women aren’t aware yet that they are pregnant.
But as other states have done, an effort is underway to codify abortion protections into the Florida Constitution. Voters this year can weigh in on Amendment 4. If passed with 60% support, the measure will protect access to abortion in Florida until fetal viability or if the mother’s health is at risk.
Saunders said he is “deeply honored” to have the support of Florida Planned Parenthood PAC, which adds to endorsements from the South Florida AFL-CIO, numerous current and former elected officials and a passel of labor and advocacy groups, including SEIU Florida, Moms Demand Action and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Also on the Nov. 5 ballot in HD 106 is Saunders’ aunt, independent St. Johns County resident Maureen “Mo” Saunders Scott, who is running something of a spite campaign against her nephew, but says she’s no fan of Basabe’s either.
