Ousted Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren to seek re-election
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TAMPA, Fla. - Three months after former Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said he would not be running for a third term after being removed from the role by Gov. Ron DeSantis, he announced he would be seeking re-election.
On Tuesday, Warren, a Democrat, declared his candidacy in a video.
"Today, I’m running for election as State Attorney to serve the people—all the people—of Hillsborough County," Warren stated in the video. "I’m running to keep our neighborhoods safe. I’m running to fight for victims and to make our criminal justice system better."
Warren has twice been elected by Hillsborough County voters, in 2016 and 2020.
In August 2022, DeSantis announced Warrens' suspension during a press conference where he was surrounded by Bay Area sheriffs saying the prosecutor violated his oath of office and had been soft on crime.
DeSantis said Warren's suspension stems from three main issues:
Warren's promise not to prosecute women or providers who violate the state's 15-week abortion ban.
His promise not to prosecute those who provide gender re-assignment surgery for minors
His general policy of not prosecuting minor or low-level first-time offenses for certain violations
Warren was among 90 prosecutors from across the country that signed on to the pledge after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court. The governor also points toward Warren’s commitment not to criminalize minors who have sex change operations.
At that time, DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Judge Suzy Lopez, to replace Warren.
Warren sued DeSantis claiming his ousting was an "illegal political stunt."
The judge found that the governor was wrong to fire Warren, but said the court lacked the authority to reinstall him as state attorney. Warren appealed the case.
The Florida Supreme Court ruled that the twice-elected Democrat waited too long to bring the case.
In January, Warren scored a win in the fight to get his job back. An appeals court found Warren’s statements were protected by the First Amendment, and a lower court has the authority to reinstate him.
Warren‘s Republican challenger, Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez who was hand-picked by the governor after Warren was suspended, seemed unfazed by Warren getting into the race.
She told Fox 13 it was just another busy day at the office.
"We’re not experimenting with the law, we’re holding people accountable and we’re following the law and that works at making our community safer," said Lopez.
When asked if she was worried about Warren getting into the race Lopez fired back," I’m doing my job," she said with a smile.
But before Warren can take on Lopez in November, he will have to defeat fellow Democrat candidate Elizabeth Martinez Strauss, who has deep roots in the Bay Area and has been gaining support since she jumped into the race back in February.
Strauss told Fox 13, "Andrew Warren has finally stood up. But without any update in his legal battle with DeSantis, he is still a risky candidate. Hillsborough County cannot afford to gamble on this election. We need a decisive state attorney who is devoted to protecting the citizens of this county,".
Strauss's father, Victor Martinez, is a well-known criminal defense attorney in town and her grandfather, Dr. Victor J. Martinez, was a lawyer and prominent heart surgeon who rubbed elbows with a lot of movers and shakers in the Bay Area and across the country.
Her mother, Rosalie Bolin, is a mitigation specialist who made headlines in the 90s when she married a death row inmate, Oscar Ray Bolin. She fought and believed in his innocence until the day he was executed in 2016.
Strauss has until April 26 to formally file her candidacy with the state. If she does file, there will be a primary race between her and Warren in August. Whoever wins, will take on Lopez in November.
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