DAVIE, Fla. – Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, brought his re-election campaign back to South Florida Thursday, speaking to a group of Christian clergy in Davie.
The incumbent senator, running against Democratic challenger Rep. Val Demings, had plenty to say about abortion.
“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again on this issue, because it’s so fundamental, life. I would rather be right and lose an election than wrong,” Rubio said.
He also said America is losing its “Judeo-Christian values.”
“This is not between the left and the right. This is not between conservatives and liberals. This is not between Republicans and Democrats,” Rubio said. “This is a fight between common sense and insanity.”
It was a campaign speech like no other—part sermon, part meditation on America and where it’s gone wrong.
“What now assails our country is Marxism,” Rubio said. “Marxism is not an economic model. It is a power model.”
An outspoken opponent of abortion, Rubio said the unborn child’s rights should prevail over the mother’s.
“You have the right of what happens to her which she possesses from God and a right of an unborn innocent human being to live and these rights are in conflict,” he said. “I just believe, with all my heart, that if you’re not a society that gives precedence to life above every other right, then you’re headed in a very dangerous direction.”
Rubio answered a question on abortion from Local 10 Senior Political Reporter Michael Putney.
“Senator, as you well know, 57% of Floridians believe that abortion should be available. So what do you say to those people?” Putney asked.
“Clearly, that’ll be debated at the federal at the state level, the state legislatures will decide this law. That’s what the Supreme Court ruling says and Florida has a law that bans abortion after four months,” Rubio replied. “I would argue that people like Val Demings and others need to tell us, you know, what abortion do you think should not be allowed? Should we be allowed to abort a child on the ninth month on the day they’re supposed to be born? I think that’s pretty egregious.”
Demings’ campaign sent a statement to Local 10 News, saying she would fight as a member of the Senate to codify Roe v. Wade as a matter of law and defend a woman’s right to choose.
Demings is gaining ground on Rubio in a recent poll. She’s now just three points behind him.