TAMPA, Fla. — With less than one week away until the Florida Primary election, former President Donald Trump cast his early vote in the Sunshine State before heading to a campaign stop in North Carolina.
It comes as Democrats held a campaign event in Tampa in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. Supporters slammed Trump and Republicans over their views on abortion.
"Because of Donald Trump, we are being denied that basic care," said Kaitlyn Joshua of Lousiana who spoke at the Hillsborough County Democratic Party office in Temple Terrace.
Joshua said she was denied from two emergency rooms while experiencing a miscarriage. Accompanying her was Amanda Zurawski of Texas who said she nearly died because of Texas' abortion bans under post-Roe era laws.
"It is unthinkable to me that anyone could cheer on the cruel abortion ban that nearly cost me my life," she said.
Dr. Bruce Shephard, a retired OB-GYN with 40 years of experience in the Tampa Bay area, said current laws instill fear among physicians and lead to delayed care.
"Politicians like Donald Trump and JD Vance have no business interfering with these deeply personal decisions," he said.
Trump has stated he believes abortion should be up to states, a stance reiterated by his running mate Sen. JD Vance. Meanwhile, Harris has been vocal over her support of reproductive rights, even coming to Florida the day the state's six-week ban took effect and again in Tallahassee on the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
Shephard said he hopes voters will turn out for Amendment 4, a ballot measure in Florida that could enshrine abortion into the state's constitution.
However, those like Scott Mahurin of Florida Preborn Rescue are volunteering their time by informing voters of the measure in hopes that they vote no. With Harris running for president, Mahurin said his work is now more important than ever.
"We know it's gonna be a hard-fought battle," Mahurin said. "You would have an administration that is radical in their funding of abortion."
Mahurin has led rallies supporting his organization's movement and most recently, held a gathering on the 54th Avenue overpass on I-275 in St. Pete.
"No pro-lifer is against healthcare for women or against any kind of procedure that a woman might need to preserve their life or preserve their baby's life," Mahurin said. "Absolutely, we're concerned about [healthcare], but again, what Amendment 4 would do is it would just open the floodgates for all of these radical positions."
A new poll released Wednesday shows 56% of voters support Amendment 4, however, that's not enough needed to meet the 60% threshold for the measure to pass.
That's according to polling from the Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab (PolCom Lab) and Mainstreet Research USA.
It also has Trump with a slight lead over Harris 50% to 47%.
The press release states, "This close margin suggests Florida’s potential swing state status may return in the upcoming election."
“The narrowing gap between Trump and Harris is consistent with the tightening we have seen in other states,” Dr. Kevin Wagner, professor of political science and co-director of the PolCom Lab, said. “If this trend holds, we may see a competitive race in Florida.”
Eight states have proposed amendments on the ballot this year that could enshrine abortion rights into their state constitutions. Ballot measures are pending in Montana and Nebraska.
