Suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren seeks re-election, will take on DeSantis appointee Suzy Lopez

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren will be running for his old position once again.

The twice-elected state attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit was suspended in August 2022 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said Warren was neglecting his duty. During a press conference about the suspension, DeSantis cited Warren’s use of prosecutorial discretion and letters the state attorney signed where he pledged not to prosecute those seeking abortions or gender affirming care.

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“He illegally forced me from office under armed guard,” Warren said in his campaign announcement.

The suspended state attorney condemned the decision multiple times, accusing DeSantis of defying the will of the people who voted for him.

In January, Warren said he would not be seeking re-election due to fears that DeSantis would suspend him again, but just days after the announcement, he won an appeal on the matter.

According to a Tuesday release, Warren will be appearing on the November 2024 general election ballot, going against DeSantis appointee Suzy Lopez.

“I’m running to protect our values, for a woman’s right to choose, for a fair and just system, and—above all—for freedom and democracy,” Warren said. “I’m running to do what’s right. It’s what I’ve always done, as a former federal prosecutor, as a father, and as your State Attorney.”

In that same breath, he began attacking his future opponent.

“My unelected replacement was handpicked based on one qualification, her blind allegiance to Ron DeSantis,” Warren said.

Lopez refuted that claim Tuesday saying the reason she is state attorney is because she believes in the letter of the law.

“I’m here because I believe in our rule of law, and I believe in enforcing our laws to keep our communities safe,” she said. “I don’t believe in experimenting with the laws and picking and choosing the cases we prosecute in this office.”

“We follow the law and we hold offenders accountable,” she continued.

The Florida Democratic Party praised Warren’s bid for re-election — saying who serves as the state attorney for Hillsborough County should be decided by the voters, not the governor.

“Andrew Warren is a fighter, and Hillsborough’s only duly elected State Attorney,” FDP Chair Nikki Fried said. “We welcome his decision to run for re-election and stay in the fight to return as Hillsborough State Attorney. That decision is now rightfully in the hands of voters, not Ron DeSantis.”

The Republican Party of Florida however, still stands with the governor’s decision.

“I think the governor did the right thing in suspending him,” said Florida GOP chair Evan Power. “If you’re not going to do the job and enforce the laws, you shouldn’t be the state attorney.”

“We’re going to be happy to explain to the public that he didn’t do the job, and now he’s running to not do the job again,” Power continued. “You have a state attorney who is doing the job and enforcing the law, and she is the right choice to move forward.”

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