Abortion rights front: Advocates say some lawmakers lost their races over the parental consent bill

By: Diane Rado - August 19, 2020 1:21 pm

Republican State Rep. Erin Grall, (left) sponsor of the parental-consent bill, and Democratic State Rep. Kimberly Daniels, (right) who voted for the bill. Credit: Danielle J. Brown

When the state House was considering a controversial parental consent bill during the 2020 legislative session, most Democrats, but not all, voted against the measure. Republicans overwhelmingly supported it.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation in June, requiring parental consent for a pregnant minor to get an abortion.

Now that the primary election is over, lawmakers in some cases are seeing the fallout on the abortion issue, according to Florida Planned Parenthood PAC.

The group pointed out that in Duval County, House District 14, candidate Angie Nixon won over “the most anti-abortion Democrat in the Florida Legislature, incumbent Kimberly Daniels,” a press release said. Daniels, a Democrat, voted for the parental-consent bill, according to state House records.

“In Palm Beach County, District 88, voters propelled Omari Hardy to victory over abortion opponent, incumbent Al Jacquet,” a Democrat who also voted for the parental-consent legislation.

“And in Pensacola’s District 1, Republican incumbent Mike Hill, one of the most extreme anti-abortion legislators ever in Florida, was defeated in his primary as well,” said Planned Parenthood.

Other Democrats also voted for the parental consent bill in the Legislature, but were not opposed in the primary. Those lawmakers include State Rep. James Bush III, representing part of Miami-Dade, and Patricia Hawkins Williams, representing part of Broward.

The Phoenix wrote earlier that Williams lost a campaign endorsement after voting for the bill parental consent bill — Ruth’s List Florida rescinded its endorsement of Williams and removed her name from the organization’s website. Ruth’s List Florida recruits and assists pro-choice Democratic women to run for public office

Incumbent Anika Omphroy, another Democrat who voted for the parental-consent bill, appears to have fended off a Democratic challenger in the primary, according to state division of election records.

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Diane Rado

Diane Rado has covered state and local government and public schools in six states over some 30 years, focusing on policy and investigative stories as well as legislative and political reporting. She is married to a journalist and has three adult children.