President Joe Biden is set to visit Florida on Tuesday, aiming to use the state’s stringent abortion law as a rallying point for Democrats. The Biden team sees reproductive rights as a key issue to mobilize voters, particularly women and moderate voters, against former President Donald Trump.
Democrats are banking on the abortion issue to drive voter turnout in the upcoming November elections. They are linking the abortion bans directly to Trump, hoping to stir a backlash against the former president. The Biden campaign frequently points to Democratic victories in the 2022 midterms and other elections since the overturning of Roe v. Wade as evidence of the power of this issue.
Florida has come under renewed focus following two state Supreme Court rulings this year. One ruling paved the way for a six-week abortion ban in Florida, while the other provided Floridians with an opportunity to enshrine abortion access in the state’s constitution come November.
Democratic strategists and Biden campaign officials are hopeful that highlighting the issue in Florida will boost voter turnout and potentially swing the state in Biden’s favor. Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning most abortions after six weeks, making Florida one of the most restrictive states for abortion access. This ban is set to take effect on May 1, following a state Supreme Court decision that overturned decades of legal precedent protecting abortion rights through the second trimester of pregnancy.
Biden’s Florida trip is part of a broader campaign strategy to keep the spotlight on abortion rights, framing it as a wider threat to personal freedoms and healthcare. To underscore the importance of this issue, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made their first joint campaign appearance of the election year focused on reproductive rights.
“Trump will do everything he can to ban abortion nationwide. His track record of disrespecting women is famously consistent, spans decades, includes his personal life, his business career, and his time as an elected official,” said Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler.
During his Florida visit, Biden is also expected to reference the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to revive a 160-year-old law that bans all abortions except when necessary to save a pregnant woman’s life. Harris, who has been touring the country discussing reproductive rights, has labeled restrictive abortion laws as “Trump abortion bans.”
Despite the uphill battle Democrats face in Florida, a traditionally Republican state, there are signs that the tide could turn in Biden’s favor. The 2024 ballot in Florida will include referendums to legalize recreational marijuana and expand abortion access, which could energize Biden’s base.
“The last time there was an abortion referendum on the ballot, in 2012, President Obama won the state. So, with our enormous financial advantage, Biden-Harris campaign can afford to invest in many paths to victory and that includes Florida,” Tyler said.
However, Democrats privately admit that turning Florida blue this cycle is a monumental task. Success may be measured by how much they can force Trump to spend in Florida to maintain his advantage.
During Biden’s last visit to Tampa in early 2023, he criticized GOP efforts to limit entitlements, contrasting himself with Florida’s GOP Senator Rick Scott, who proposed sunsetting federal legislation, including Social Security and Medicare, every five years.
Abortion rights, social security, and Medicare, among other issues, were highlighted in a recent campaign memo, arguing that Biden has an opportunity in Florida and outlining investments in the state.
In late January, Biden expressed confidence in his chances in Florida at a high-dollar fundraiser. “I think we can win Florida,” he said.
Report contributions by CNN’s Sam Fossum and Steve Contorno.