Attorney general candidate Sean Shaw on death penalty, Affordable Care Act

Shaw up against Ashley Moody on Nov. 6

ORLANDO, Fla. – With absentee ballots already being cast and early voting beginning Monday, candidates from the state to local level are out with their final push to Florida voters. 

The race for attorney general -- one of the most powerful positions in the state -- includes two candidates with two very different platforms.

Pam Bondi, who's held the position for the last eight years, is leaving due to term limits.

Democrat Sean Shaw, an insurance consumer advocate who served one term in the Florida House, told News 6 anchor Justin Warmoth on "The Weekly on ClickOrlando.com" that he'll aggressively take on the policies of the Republican-dominated Legislature and even President Donald Trump, if he's elected. 

"It appears that Attorney General Bondi is the general counsel to the Republican Party. That's not what the attorney general's office ought to be," Shaw said. "It ought to be an independent watchdog that holds everyone accountable." 

Shaw, looking to become the first African-American elected to the position in Florida, was also critical of Bondi joining a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act. Shaw said he would leave that lawsuit immediately.

The Republican candidate for attorney general, Ashley Moody, claims her background as a federal prosecutor is more of a qualification for the position.

"I feel like it's less of a qualification," Shaw said. "The attorney general's office does not directly prosecute a lot of cases." 

Shaw said he learned a lot of his law background from his late father, Leander Shaw Jr., who was the first African-American chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. 

"I literally grew up in the halls of the Florida Supreme Court when I was a little boy," Shaw said. "The older I got, the more I became aware of how big of a deal he was." 

Shaw also discussed Florida's "stand your ground" law, the opioid epidemic, medical marijuana and the death penalty controversy surrounding Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala.


About the Author:

Justin Warmoth joined News 6 in 2013 and is now a morning news anchor.

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