'Punch to the gut': Nikki Fried, candidate for Florida governor, speaks out on leaked Supreme Court draft opinion

Democrat candidate for governor Nikki Fried spoke Wednesday afternoon in Payne Park, voicing her opposition to a federal leak suggesting the Supreme Court's pending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a federal law protecting a person's right to abortion.

"The leak on Monday evening was a punch to the gut," Fried said. "We all knew this was, unfortunately, going to come. But seeing it in writing (...) is devastating. But that devastation doesn't mean that we are speechless."

A small crowd of supporters enveloped Fried, including former Sarasota mayor Fredd Atkins and City Commissioner Liz Alpert.

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Atkins offered an occasional whoop or affirmation of support during Fried's remarks.

Alpert, emphasizing that she was speaking on her own behalf and not on the City Commission, said the issue is very important to her.

"I know what happens if a woman is forced to go through a pregnancy that she doesn't want," she said. "It not only affects her body during the pregnancy, but it affects her ability oftentimes to get an education. It can affect her career. It can kill her."

Alpert cited her growing up in a pre-Roe world, claiming that wealthy women always had access to abortions while poor women, "who have the least resources to be able to handle another child," would desperately pursue more risky, and sometimes fatal, methods.

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Fried also reflected on the possible overturn's potential impact on federal law.

She said the most disturbing part of the Supreme Court's proposed order would be a fundamental shift in the way people interpret the constitution — suggesting that other landmark decisions, such as Brown v. the Board of Education, could be reversed, too.

"I'm standing on the shoulders of so many women that came before me that gave us these protections," she said. "For those young women knowing that they're going to be living in a post-Roe world is absolutely unacceptable."

Kate Danehy-Samitz, founder and vice president of Women's Voices of SW Florida, also spoke.

"Access to abortion is healthcare. Agency over one's own personal self is a fundamental American principle," she said to rousing applause.

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Danehy-Samitz pointed to statistics showing that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations: 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births — a number that's increased by over 6% since 2018.

In Florida, the maternal mortality rate is higher than the country's average: 26.8 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 20.1 nationwide in 2019.

"Government has no role in the decision that a woman has to make between her family, between whoever she prays to, whoever she wants to have in her inner circle," Fried said.

"Let me tell you: elected officials are not in those conversations — and they should stay out of those conversations."

Stefania Lugli covers a little of everything for the Herald-Tribune while pursuing watchdog/investigative stories. You can contact her at slugli@heraldtribune.com or dm her on Twitter at @steflugli.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Nikki Fried speaks in support of Roe v. Wade after Supreme Court leak