Florida

Challenger Threatens to Sue South Florida Congresswoman Over Abortion Ad

The ad being run by the campaign for Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat whose district includes much of Palm Beach County, calls Republican challenger Dan Franzese a “threat to abortion rights"

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

The man looking to unseat a South Florida congresswoman is threatening to sue over a television ad claiming he wants to ban abortions nationwide and prosecute doctors who perform them.

The ad being run by the campaign for Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat whose district includes much of Palm Beach County, calls Republican challenger Dan Franzese a “threat to abortion rights.” Franzese said the claims are “100 percent false” and wrote a letter to Frankel demanding she remove the ads.

"I'm a strict constitutionalist, and I believe these are the kinds of decisions that should be made at the state level, not the federal level," Franzese said to NBC affiliate WPTV-TV.

Frankel said Franzese’s support of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade opens the door to a nationwide ban.

"What's happened since that decision?" Frankel asked. "Almost half the states in this country have now banned or severely restricted abortion."

Franzese said he would not vote against any kind of abortion ban if elected. He added he is considering a lawsuit while Frankel says she stands by the ad.

Rep. Frankel has been a member of Congress since January 2013 after previously serving as the mayor of West Palm Beach.

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