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Path to the Polls: Is Gov. DeSantis violating the law in Florida’s abortion battle?

Could Sunshine State suddenly be in play in run for Oval Office?

The abortion battle is intensifying in Florida, and the fight over Amendment 4 is gaining national attention as opponents and supporters clash in the courts.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading the charge for Republicans, who are repeatedly tapping into taxpayer-funded resources to fight the November ballot initiative.

If passed, Amendment 4 would overturn Florida’s six-week abortion ban.

Supporters of the amendment say what DeSantis and the GOP are doing is nothing short of “government overreach” and that the state government is violating the law.

While DeSantis and those in his camp say, Whoa, we’re just educating the public and protecting Floridians.

The courts must decide the issue soon as early voting begins in just three weeks.

Also on the agenda for the latest episode of “Path to the Polls” is a fresh look at the electoral map.

It appears winning the Oval Office Eastern: Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

Some political analysts say that if former President Donald Trump wins that trifecta, he will go back to the White House.

So where does that leave Vice President Kamala Harris? Well, if she can carry the Keystone State, her only hope appears to be a Southern strategy. She must win either Georgia or North Carolina. Analysts say there is no other path for her to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

In the grand scheme of things, that means the election might well be determined when the polls close in the Eastern time zone. And, of course, after all the ballots are counted!

There is a caveat here. There are four other battleground states that are important. We can’t discount Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona.

If Harris loses Pennsylvania, she’d still need to pick up one of the two Western states as well as one of the two Southern states to win — so long as she carries Michigan and Wisconsin.

But back to where we started, if Trump wins the Pennsylvania-North Carolina-Georgia trifecta and blocks her in those states — Fuhgeddaboudit!

And here in the Sunshine State, an interesting question: Is Florida back in play when it comes to the run for the White House? One expert on U.S. elections thinks so.

He says there are a couple of factors at play. Among them is what he calls DeSantis’ push to enact unpopular laws on social issues like the six-week abortion ban, LGBTQ+ policy, and controversial education policy.

Political analyst Daniel Cronrath joined me this week to discuss these topics and more on “Vote 2024: Path to the Polls.”

Press play at the top of this article or watch our 7 p.m. Tuesday encore presentation on News4JAX+ or watch any time on demand on News4JAX+, News4JAX.com and our YouTube channel.


About the Author
Bruce Hamilton headshot

This Emmy Award-winning television, radio and newspaper journalist has anchored The Morning Show for 18 years.

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