TAMPA, Fla. — Ousted Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren is officially running to get his old job back in 2024.
This marks a change since January when Warren told supporters in an email that he wouldn't seek reelection due to a "high risk" of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspending him again, even if he won in November.
Warren was elected twice by voters, in 2016 and 2020, before he was removed from office in August 2022 by DeSantis.
In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, Warren announced his reelection bid, saying in part, "I'll never stop fighting for our safety, our freedom, and our democracy."
Warren continued, "Today, I’m running for election as State Attorney to serve the people — all the people — of Hillsborough County. I’m running to keep our neighborhoods safe. I’m running to fight for victims and to make our criminal justice system better."
In a release, Warren says during his time as state attorney, crime in Hillsborough County was reduced by more than 30 percent, resulting in the county being considered the safest large county in Florida, according to reported state data shared by his campaign.
“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. I’m Andrew Warren, and together, it’s time we reclaim the future of this community — our community. Join us in this fight.”
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, announced her plans last year to campaign for the seat in 2024 and provided a statement following Warren's January 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."