TAMPA, Fla. — Suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren says he's not going to seek election for a 3rd term in 2024 after a nearly 18-month battle with the state to get his job back.
Warren, who was previously elected as the state attorney both in 2016 and 2020 by Hillsborough County voters, says the decision was made due to a "high risk" of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ousting the state attorney again even if he wins in 2024.
Warren claims that although federal court ruled his suspension in August 2022 was illegal and "violated" both Florida and U.S. constitutions, courts haven't "stepped in" and delivered "consequences" for DeSantis' "law-breaking publicity stunt."
“I have been planning to run for re-election since the day I was suspended. But the governor has made clear that he does not care about the will of the voters or our democracy, and that he is willing to break state and federal law to keep me from serving as State Attorney,” Warren said in an email sent to supporters.
“Because the courts have let his illegal political stunt stand, if I ran and won, he could suspend me again for whatever bogus reason he wanted. And then we would be right back where we are today, with an illegal, unqualified political appointee installed in the job. I care about the State Attorney’s Office and this community too much to have that cloud of uncertainty hanging over us. I care too much to have that office remain leaderless—with an unlawful political puppet placed in a position she didn’t earn and isn’t qualified to hold.”
On Aug. 4, 2022, DeSantis announced Warren's suspension and said it was due to a "neglect of duty." The 2022 executive order said Warren "demonstrated his incompetence and willful defiance of his duty."
In January 2023, a federal judge ruled DeSantis violated Warren's First Amendment rights after the governor suspended him. However, the judge said DeSantis' violations of Warren's rights weren't "essential" to the outcome of the ruling, stating in court documents DeSantis would have suspended Warren even if the First Amendment violation didn't happen.
The judge continued in his order that the suspension does violate the Florida Constitution, which would affect the ruling's outcome.
However, the court document says Warren won't be reinstated because the Eleventh Amendment "prohibits a federal court from awarding declaratory or injunctive relief of the kind at issue against a state official based only on a violation of state law."
The Florida Supreme Court, the majority of whom are DeSantis appointees declined to take up Warren's case. In a 6-1 decision, the court's majority said he waited too long before filing with the state court.
In the meantime, Suzy Lopez, the Hillsborough County State Attorney appointed by DeSantis as Warren's replacement, earlier announced her plans to campaign for the seat in 2024 and provided a statement following Monday's announcement:
"As your State Attorney, I remain focused on keeping Hillsborough safe. I will continue to fight for crime victims and their families. I will continue to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement," she said. "The people of Hillsborough County deserve a State Attorney who will follow and uphold the law. That is the kind of State Attorney I have been and will continue to be."