Florida women from different sides unite to back abortion access initiative
In Florida, some Republican women are holding discreet "house parties" to challenge their party's stance on abortion.
TroibNews 
BRADENTON, Florida — In the conservative heart of southwest Florida, a gathering of predominantly Republican women convened Tuesday evening to discuss a ballot initiative aimed at overturning the state’s six-week abortion ban.
Rather than aligning with the restrictions championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican party, the group devoted over two hours in a waterfront clubhouse along the Manatee River to a discussion led by a local obstetrician who is in favor of the measure.
“It will make me so happy to know that people will be entering those voting booths knowing that they can vote with their conscience,” remarked attendee Sue Revell at the end of the event. “And they will cast their ballot without any government interference.”
Revell was one of more than 30 attendees at the event organized by a coalition of conservative women advocating for the initiative. Many participants opted to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions or personal conflict within their circles.
However, the Republican women were motivated to attend Tuesday's meeting, one of two house parties hosted in Manatee County, because they recognized that the ballot initiative would require support from individuals like themselves in order to succeed, needing 60 percent voter approval to be added to the state Constitution.
By the conclusion of the meeting, some participants were inquiring about how to host similar gatherings. The initially tense atmosphere surrounding the sensitive topic of abortion evolved into discussions about actionable steps to support the cause. The meeting also featured involvement from the League of Women Voters, which provided informational pamphlets about the amendment for attendees.
As candidates from the Democratic Party, including Vice President Kamala Harris, vigorously campaign on women's reproductive rights, the issue has gained significant attention among voters. However, in Florida, without securing a substantial portion of votes from Republican constituents, the ballot measure's chances of passing are slim. State elections data indicates that registered Republicans in Florida outnumber Democrats by nearly 1 million.
Earlier this year, the coalition, along with numerous organizations, helped amass over 891,000 signed petitions necessary for Amendment 4 to appear on the ballot. Among them was Carol Whitmore, a former Republican and Manatee County commissioner. While distributing petitions, she noticed many Republican women expressing their support.
“There’s a lot of people who are just too afraid to speak up,” Whitmore stated before the event, emphasizing that the gatherings aim to provide a safe space for GOP women to discuss abortion candidly. She publicly voiced her support for reproductive rights for the first time during a 2021 county commission meeting that dealt with a failed local abortion ban.
“Here you can speak freely and ask any questions that you want,” she said during the event. “We want you to know that this is about choice.”
Whitmore, along with coalition members Ashley Brown and Jaymie Carter, organized events throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties to foster open discussions about abortion rights among conservative women. Brown, who also leads the nonprofit Women’s Resource Center in Bradenton, noted that the emotional weight of the issue often makes it difficult for women to express their feelings about it due to political backlash.
“They should be able to speak their mind without some sort of pulverizing response,” Brown said, reminiscing about when candid discussions were more feasible.
This grassroots movement is not isolated; Republican women across Florida express a desire to engage without publicly aligning themselves with the initiative. Some hold significant positions within the GOP but are concerned about the repercussions of openly supporting Amendment 4, with one individual noting that such involvement could “ruin my life.” Much of this unease stems from DeSantis's aggressive tactics against opposition figures during his tenure, targeting everyone from progressive prosecutors to Walt Disney World.
To counter the Amendment 4 initiative, DeSantis's administration has launched a campaign called No on 4 Florida. In response to the event on Tuesday, spokesperson Taryn Fenske acknowledged the growing interest in the issue from voters across party lines but affirmed their opposition to the initiative.
“Once they get past the intentionally vague and deceptive language, Floridians regardless of party affiliation realize that Amendment 4 is radical, dangerous, and wrong for Florida,” Fenske commented in a statement. “No matter where you stand on the issue, there’s nothing ‘small government’ or ‘conservative’ about Amendment 4.”
For many attendees, reproductive rights are not traditionally central to their Republican beliefs. One GOP woman, who previously worked as a legislative staffer, expressed her surprise at the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, having always believed such rights were secure.
“I always grew up with that protection,” she reflected. “I always thought that was something that was more of a political talking point but we weren't going to see any policy on it.”
If approved, Amendment 4 would repeal Florida’s six-week abortion ban and allow for abortions without restrictions until approximately 24 weeks, with later procedures permitted in cases where medical professionals deem them necessary for health reasons.
The six-week abortion ban was one of DeSantis’s key objectives during his unsuccessful presidential campaign, and he criticized former President Donald Trump for referring to it as a “terrible mistake.” Currently, he is mobilizing efforts to defeat Amendment 4, alleging that the proposal is vaguely constructed and would significantly dilute state regulation. This week, cabinet officials committed at least $100,000 each to support DeSantis’s opposition.
The push for stricter abortion laws by Florida Republicans gained momentum following the Supreme Court's indication of support for a 15-week ban in Mississippi. As a result, Florida established its own 15-week ban, which does not include exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking, after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
In light of this overturned precedent, Florida Republicans successfully implemented the six-week ban last year. These strict regulations were implemented in May after the Florida Supreme Court upheld the 15-week ban amidst a lawsuit from abortion-rights advocates, including Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.
The Florida Supreme Court also rejected a request from Republican state Attorney General Ashley Moody to prevent Amendment 4 from appearing on the ballot. Consequently, DeSantis established a political committee known as the Freedom Fund to support the anti-Amendment 4 campaign.
The coalition of conservative supporters behind Tuesday's meeting emerged from the Floridians Protecting Freedom Committee. The group had faced difficulties raising campaign funds due to apprehensions from out-of-state donors regarding Florida’s Republican-dominated landscape. However, a successful campaign similar to this one in Ohio last November helped shift perceptions, leading to enough signatures being collected in time for the ballot ahead of the state’s February 1 deadline.
“I feel like the tides are turning,” Whitmore shared. “I think we’ll be turning the tide without all of the scare tactics.”
Initiative member Jaymie Carter played a key role in organizing the first event in July, which also drew over 30 attendees. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Carter noted that several people had already RSVPed. The disappointing outcome for three DeSantis-backed school board candidates in Sarasota’s recent primaries sparked further interest, suggesting to some that his influence may be diminishing.
“People want to say what they feel,” Carter stated. “As we’ve always said as Republicans, less government interference.”
Sarasota resident Carolyn Johnson mentioned that she, along with three other Democrats, attended the event to explore outreach opportunities. Recent primary results provided a chance for collective action.
“This ban is bad medicine,” Johnson remarked. “We have people in Sarasota who are saying ‘No.’”
Manatee resident Tonya Kida expressed that while she shares many Republican principles, including advocating for minimal government intervention, she feels strongly about the issue at hand.
“Being Republican is about less government,” Kida stated. “This is about government interference.”
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Rather than aligning with the restrictions championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican party, the group devoted over two hours in a waterfront clubhouse along the Manatee River to a discussion led by a local obstetrician who is in favor of the measure.
“It will make me so happy to know that people will be entering those voting booths knowing that they can vote with their conscience,” remarked attendee Sue Revell at the end of the event. “And they will cast their ballot without any government interference.”
Revell was one of more than 30 attendees at the event organized by a coalition of conservative women advocating for the initiative. Many participants opted to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions or personal conflict within their circles.
However, the Republican women were motivated to attend Tuesday's meeting, one of two house parties hosted in Manatee County, because they recognized that the ballot initiative would require support from individuals like themselves in order to succeed, needing 60 percent voter approval to be added to the state Constitution.
By the conclusion of the meeting, some participants were inquiring about how to host similar gatherings. The initially tense atmosphere surrounding the sensitive topic of abortion evolved into discussions about actionable steps to support the cause. The meeting also featured involvement from the League of Women Voters, which provided informational pamphlets about the amendment for attendees.
As candidates from the Democratic Party, including Vice President Kamala Harris, vigorously campaign on women's reproductive rights, the issue has gained significant attention among voters. However, in Florida, without securing a substantial portion of votes from Republican constituents, the ballot measure's chances of passing are slim. State elections data indicates that registered Republicans in Florida outnumber Democrats by nearly 1 million.
Earlier this year, the coalition, along with numerous organizations, helped amass over 891,000 signed petitions necessary for Amendment 4 to appear on the ballot. Among them was Carol Whitmore, a former Republican and Manatee County commissioner. While distributing petitions, she noticed many Republican women expressing their support.
“There’s a lot of people who are just too afraid to speak up,” Whitmore stated before the event, emphasizing that the gatherings aim to provide a safe space for GOP women to discuss abortion candidly. She publicly voiced her support for reproductive rights for the first time during a 2021 county commission meeting that dealt with a failed local abortion ban.
“Here you can speak freely and ask any questions that you want,” she said during the event. “We want you to know that this is about choice.”
Whitmore, along with coalition members Ashley Brown and Jaymie Carter, organized events throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties to foster open discussions about abortion rights among conservative women. Brown, who also leads the nonprofit Women’s Resource Center in Bradenton, noted that the emotional weight of the issue often makes it difficult for women to express their feelings about it due to political backlash.
“They should be able to speak their mind without some sort of pulverizing response,” Brown said, reminiscing about when candid discussions were more feasible.
This grassroots movement is not isolated; Republican women across Florida express a desire to engage without publicly aligning themselves with the initiative. Some hold significant positions within the GOP but are concerned about the repercussions of openly supporting Amendment 4, with one individual noting that such involvement could “ruin my life.” Much of this unease stems from DeSantis's aggressive tactics against opposition figures during his tenure, targeting everyone from progressive prosecutors to Walt Disney World.
To counter the Amendment 4 initiative, DeSantis's administration has launched a campaign called No on 4 Florida. In response to the event on Tuesday, spokesperson Taryn Fenske acknowledged the growing interest in the issue from voters across party lines but affirmed their opposition to the initiative.
“Once they get past the intentionally vague and deceptive language, Floridians regardless of party affiliation realize that Amendment 4 is radical, dangerous, and wrong for Florida,” Fenske commented in a statement. “No matter where you stand on the issue, there’s nothing ‘small government’ or ‘conservative’ about Amendment 4.”
For many attendees, reproductive rights are not traditionally central to their Republican beliefs. One GOP woman, who previously worked as a legislative staffer, expressed her surprise at the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, having always believed such rights were secure.
“I always grew up with that protection,” she reflected. “I always thought that was something that was more of a political talking point but we weren't going to see any policy on it.”
If approved, Amendment 4 would repeal Florida’s six-week abortion ban and allow for abortions without restrictions until approximately 24 weeks, with later procedures permitted in cases where medical professionals deem them necessary for health reasons.
The six-week abortion ban was one of DeSantis’s key objectives during his unsuccessful presidential campaign, and he criticized former President Donald Trump for referring to it as a “terrible mistake.” Currently, he is mobilizing efforts to defeat Amendment 4, alleging that the proposal is vaguely constructed and would significantly dilute state regulation. This week, cabinet officials committed at least $100,000 each to support DeSantis’s opposition.
The push for stricter abortion laws by Florida Republicans gained momentum following the Supreme Court's indication of support for a 15-week ban in Mississippi. As a result, Florida established its own 15-week ban, which does not include exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking, after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
In light of this overturned precedent, Florida Republicans successfully implemented the six-week ban last year. These strict regulations were implemented in May after the Florida Supreme Court upheld the 15-week ban amidst a lawsuit from abortion-rights advocates, including Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.
The Florida Supreme Court also rejected a request from Republican state Attorney General Ashley Moody to prevent Amendment 4 from appearing on the ballot. Consequently, DeSantis established a political committee known as the Freedom Fund to support the anti-Amendment 4 campaign.
The coalition of conservative supporters behind Tuesday's meeting emerged from the Floridians Protecting Freedom Committee. The group had faced difficulties raising campaign funds due to apprehensions from out-of-state donors regarding Florida’s Republican-dominated landscape. However, a successful campaign similar to this one in Ohio last November helped shift perceptions, leading to enough signatures being collected in time for the ballot ahead of the state’s February 1 deadline.
“I feel like the tides are turning,” Whitmore shared. “I think we’ll be turning the tide without all of the scare tactics.”
Initiative member Jaymie Carter played a key role in organizing the first event in July, which also drew over 30 attendees. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Carter noted that several people had already RSVPed. The disappointing outcome for three DeSantis-backed school board candidates in Sarasota’s recent primaries sparked further interest, suggesting to some that his influence may be diminishing.
“People want to say what they feel,” Carter stated. “As we’ve always said as Republicans, less government interference.”
Sarasota resident Carolyn Johnson mentioned that she, along with three other Democrats, attended the event to explore outreach opportunities. Recent primary results provided a chance for collective action.
“This ban is bad medicine,” Johnson remarked. “We have people in Sarasota who are saying ‘No.’”
Manatee resident Tonya Kida expressed that while she shares many Republican principles, including advocating for minimal government intervention, she feels strongly about the issue at hand.
“Being Republican is about less government,” Kida stated. “This is about government interference.”
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
