Abortion has been an important issue for voters for a long time.
With the U.S. Supreme Court throwing out Roe v. Wade in 2022, it's become an even more prominent election priority. Elected officials now have a far greater say in abortion rights and restrictions.
Florida has heavily restricted abortion access in recent years. The state's "Heartbeat Protection Act" bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking up to 15 weeks with certain documentation, as well as separate exceptions for fatal fetal abnormalities and medical emergencies.
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A 2024 ballot measure expanding abortion rights got more than 57% of the vote, but still fell short of the 60% approval threshold.
Here's what Florida's major candidates for governor and attorney general — both offices that can influence abortion policy — have said about their post-Roe beliefs:
Governor's race
Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has been endorsed by Florida Voice for the Unborn, an anti-abortion group. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, another anti-abortion group, gave him an A+ in its "National Pro-Life Scorecard."
"Rep. Donalds has voted consistently to protect the lives of the unborn and to stop forced taxpayer funding of abortion," the group says.
In recent comments documented by Florida Politics, Donalds called the six-week abortion ban "the right move."
But he said it's not the right time for more state restrictions, noting pushback to the recent ones. He said the state should focus on implementing and educating the public about the current law.
That doesn't mean more changes aren't possible if he's governor: “What it is is actually educating and preparing the electorate for the next legislative push you want to do," he said.
Democrat David Jolly, a former congressman, doesn't agree with Florida's ban.
"This candidate is explicitly pro-choice and proposes restoring access by replacing Florida's 6-week ban with a statute permitting abortion until fetal viability (approximately 23 to 24 weeks), with state regulation thereafter except where necessary to protect maternal life or health," his campaign website says, evoking Roe's legal standard.
He voted for abortion restrictions when he served in the U.S. House as a Republican, though he broke with his then-party when he opposed Congress launching another investigation against Planned Parenthood. (At the time, he said he wanted Planned Parenthood defunded but believed the investigation — on top of several others — would be a waste of taxpayer money and only be done for political reasons.)
"I readily admit I wrongly conflated my faith teachings when I entered politics, my faith teachings around life with being anti-Roe," he said on WUSF's Florida Matters in June.
"We need more politicians willing to admit they were wrong and change and evolve and meet the moment where voters are," he said.
The Florida Planned Parenthood PAC has endorsed him.
Attorney general's race
Incumbent Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, has been endorsed by anti-abortion groups, including Florida Right to Life.
His anti-abortion views have gotten a lot of attention this week, following a CBS Miami report on the topic.
The piece spotlighted Uthmeier's appearance on an anti-abortion activist's podcast this month.
Uthmeier said he wanted the state to go further than the six-week abortion ban.
"I'm excited to go fight for truth, fight for life and take the enemy down using any tool we have above and beyond just our Heartbeat bill," he said.
Uthmeier is actively suing Planned Parenthood and is seeking to restrict abortion pills.
CBS Miami also described how Uthmeier talked about using the court system to pursue "fetal personhood," a legal concept saying fetuses should have the same rights as those who are already born.
"If he is successful, it could end all abortions in Florida, even in cases of rape and incest, because if an embryo or a fetus is a person, then they cannot be terminated, no matter how they were conceived," the article reads.
When asked on the podcast if Florida will see an end to all abortions, Uthmeier said, "I certainly pray so." Uthmeier has additionally called surrogacy "modern-day slavery."
ALSO READ: What to know about the Florida attorney general race
Democrat José Javier Rodríguez, a workers' rights attorney and former state senator, has the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC endorsement.
"James Uthmeier thinks the government should decide whether, when and how you have children," he said in a recent social media post. "Your family. Your future. Your decision. I’m running for Florida Attorney General to keep it that way and get James Uthmeier out of your doctor’s office."
In a separate social media post, he accused Uthmeier of "putting in vitro fertilization at risk."
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
