NARAL Was an Early Supporter of Pro-Choice Candidates From Across The State
For Immediate Release: August 28, 2018
Contact: [email protected]
In a victory for women and families across Florida, NARAL Pro-Choice America congratulated pro-choice champions, Nancy Soderberg in FL-06, Stephanie Murphy in FL-07, Charlie Crist in FL-13, David Shapiro FL-16, Lauren Baer in FL-18, Mary Barzee-Flores in FL-25, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in FL-26, and Donna Shalala in FL-27 for winning their Congressional primaries this evening.
“With near constant attacks on our basic reproductive freedom at the hands of the Trump Administration and the GOP, we need pro-choice champions in Congress who will always stand up for the rights of Florida women and families,” said NARAL Pro-Choice America Political Director Nicole Brener-Schmitz. “These candidates have been consistent advocates for our constitutional right to make our own healthcare decisions and we are proud to support them and ensure that they win on November 6th.”
Former Ambassador Nancy Soderberg has over thirty years of experience in foreign policy as she has served in key positions in the White House, the United Nations, the United States Senate, and on four presidential campaigns. She has promoted democracy and conflict resolution worldwide. As a former Ambassador, Soderberg recognizes the demand for reproductive freedom for girls and women internationally, and nationally.
Murphy is the first Vietnamese-American woman elected to the United States Congress. Her family fled Vietnam when she was a child, and they settled in Northern Virginia, where she grew up. She worked for the Department of Defense as a national security specialist before settling in Florida as a business consultant and professor at Rollins College. She lives in Winter Park, Florida, with her husband and two young children. Murphy is also a member of the Blue Dog Caucus.
As a member of Congress, Crist has voted against overturning the protections of the Affordable Care Act and against a 20-week abortion ban. As Governor of Florida, Crist vetoed an anti-choice ultrasound bill. He grew up in Florida and lives in St. Petersburg. Charlie is a member of the Blue Dog Caucus.
David Shapiro is a lawyer who served as the Treasurer and Vice President of Children First. He is a local small business owner and served as a trustee member on the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. Shapiro is an advocate for reproductive rights, and has vowed to protect a woman’s right to make decisions about her own healthcare.
Mucarsel-Powell has spent the last twenty years improving the lives of underserved communities in Miami-Dade. She has worked for non-profit organizations such as the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. For over a decade, she worked at the College of Health at Florida International University and, since its inception, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. As someone that has spent her life’s work expanding access to quality healthcare—impacting the lives of thousands—she knows that it’s inconceivable that politicians in D.C. would consider ripping away health care access from our families.
Baer was raised in Florida’s 18th Congressional District and calls Palm Beach Gardens home. She is also a proud graduate of Palm Beach County public schools. An attorney and foreign policy expert, she served as an official in the Obama Administration from 2011-2017, acting as a senior advisor to Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, and to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. During her time in government, she was responsible for ensuring that the promotion of U.S. values remained central to foreign policy and advised on a range of critical national security issues related to human rights and international law. She and her wife Emily are proud parents of their young daughter, Serena.
Mary Barzee Flores has dedicated her life to public service in Florida. She spent 12 years in the Florida Public Defender’s Office before running for an open seat as a Florida Circuit Court Judge and served nearly eight years. Barzee Flores earned the reputation as a fair, and well-respected judge. She was then nominated by President Obama for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida. As the daughter of a World War II Veteran, Barzee Flores understands what it’s like to live in a family one health crisis away from a financial emergency. She also understands that women should have control over their own bodies and lives. She is committed to ensuring access to reproductive healthcare, ending the attacks on Roe v. Wade, and restoring funding for Planned Parenthood.
NARAL’s political program for the 2018 general election is the organization’s largest ever midterm political program to advance candidates fighting for “our values, our future, our vote.” NARAL is investing in diverse candidates up and down the ballot in 19 states, mobilizing members and voters through mail, phones, digital ads, door to door canvassing, TV ads, and rallies that hold anti-choice candidates accountable and lift up pro-choice champions. To read more about NARAL’s endorsed candidates, click here.
NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all Americans. NARAL works to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”