Ausley, Simon debate hot-button issues — immigration, abortion rights, party politics

State Sen. Loranne Ausley and Corey Simon faced off in a debate Monday, sparring over new abortion laws, recent migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard and other hot-button topics.

The Florida Senate District 3 candidates also took a few swings at each other during the campaign forum, which was hosted by the Capital Tiger Bay Club and held over a fried chicken lunch at the Tucker Civic Center.

Simon, a Republican, former CEO of Volunteer Florida and one-time Florida State University football star, tried to paint Ausley as an ineffective incumbent in Legislature.

Ausley, a Democrat and an attorney who served six terms in the House before her election to the Senate in 2020, tried to argue that Simon would vote in lockstep with his party.

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On Florida’s ailing insurance industry — under further strain in the aftermath Hurricane Ian — Ausley said she didn’t have a “silver bullet answer.” She expressed doubt it could be solved in a one- or two-week special session, suggesting instead a “long, thoughtful process” with all stakeholders at the table.

Simon acknowledged a fix would “take some time” but complained that Ausley continues to “just kick the can down the road.”

“I understand that we lack the reinsurance marketplace and more and more are leaving the state as we speak,” Simon said. “But at some point in time, we have to fix the problem. You’ve had 12 years, and the problem still exists.

Ausley fired back, saying “my entire service in the Legislature, I’ve been in the minority party, and the party that you represent has been in charge.”

Comments on immigration, migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard

When asked about the flights of 48 Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, which were arranged by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Simon blasted President Joe Biden for his “open border policy,” which he said was designed to create more Democratic voters.

“Every day we have veterans that are sleeping on our street corners,” he said. “There are kids that in this district go hungry. But still we have an open border that we allow folks to just flood knowing that when they get here, we have to feed them and we have to clothe them and we have to split those resources. And so we need to really put a stop to it.”

Ausley said called the flights “outrageous, unlawful” and “nothing but a political stunt.” She noted the immigrants in question were seeking asylum from political persecution.

“First of all, we’re a nation of immigrants,” she said. “We can’t continue to vilify those who are coming across our border. And if we’re going to talk about human lives, we put 50 unsuspecting people on a plane and told them one thing and dropped them in a place where people are not expecting them. And the state of Florida paid for that.”

Ausley v. Simon on abortion rights

Asked about abortion, Ausley blasted the GOP-led Legislature’s approval earlier this year of a ban on abortion after 15 weeks with no exceptions for victims of rape, incest or human trafficking. She said more stringent restrictions will be coming.

“The bottom line here is that I do not believe government has any role in this very private decision that a woman should make with her family and her doctor,” she said.

Simon said there should be exceptions for rape and incest but wondered where lawmakers should draw the line.

“The question is how far do we go?” he asked. “Is it a partial-birth abortion? Is it 26 weeks? Is it 36? I mean, how far do we continue to go until we’re looking at murder?”

The candidates on campaign mailers, presidential election validity

Ausley distanced herself from mailers attacking Simon as an extremist who would turn schools “into shooting ranges.” The mailers, which included images of children with targets behind them, have been criticized as racially insensitive.

“My campaign is not responsible for the mail piece ... it was put out by the Democratic Party,” Ausley said. “I have no control over what they send out. I do not prefer these campaign tactics. I don’t think either of us do.”

Simon, meanwhile, refused to say whether he believed in the 2020 presidential election results. Biden handily defeated Trump, who maintains without proof that the election was stolen.

“The election is done,” he said. “President Biden is the president. And we’re worse for him.”

The event, which began with acknowledgment of the victims of Hurricane Ian, had little in the way of Tiger Bay's trademark humor. There was one moment of levity, when Ausley's podium began to fall apart and Simon jumped in to help.

“See, we can work together,” he quipped. "You saved me," said Ausley, who won the post-debate straw poll 53-20.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Loranne Ausley, Corey Simon debate in Florida state Senate race