EMILYs List targets Ron Desantis, Marco Rubio

Florida Politics:  EMILY's List targets Ron Desantis, Marco Rubio

By: A.G. Gancarski

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio have been singled out by a pro-choice political group as they run for reelection in 2022.

EMILYs List, which aspires to elect pro-choice Democratic women to office, asserted Tuesday that both Florida Republicans are on watchlists.

DeSantis was named one of nine Republican Governors designated as “targets” by the group.

Others include Greg Abbott of Texas, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Phil Scott of Vermont, and Chris Sununu of New Hampshire.

“Each and every one of these nine Republican governors have failed to perform what should be their primary duty in office: to use their offices to improve the lives of families across their states. When faced with an unprecedented public health crisis, they prioritized politics over people and took cues from a willfully ignorant former president rather than informed experts. Now, some are attempting to enact highly restrictive voting rules to subvert democracy and avoid being held accountable for their unpopular actions,” asserted Emily Cain, executive director of EMILYs List.

“We need governors who place the public good over their personal and partisan political agendas. Every one of these states would be much better served by electing a Democratic pro-choice woman governor, and EMILYs List is working hard to do just that,” Cain added.

The group also put Sen. Rubio “on notice,” a designation seemingly reserved for a few Republican Senators. Iowa’s  Chuck Grassley and Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson also earned the group’s ire.

“Not only has Senator Marco Rubio consistently voted against ensuring equal pay protections for women in the workplace, he’s also refused to support urgently needed COVID-19 relief measures, including funding for vaccine distribution and economic support for families and small businesses. Senator Rubio’s 2017 vote to strip Americans of their health insurance with no replacement plan and his repeated efforts to defund Planned Parenthood show that his commitment to his party’s dangerous agenda will always come first, no matter the cost for his constituents. It’s time to elect a Democratic pro-choice woman who will put Florida’s families before Donald Trump’s interests,” Cain asserted.

It is very possible that Rubio and DeSantis could face women in the General Glection. Potential candidates like Reps. Stephanie Murphy and Val Demings and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried are among those with 2022 decisions looming.