TAMPA, Fla. — The race for Hillsborough State Attorney is taking shape as former State Attorney Andrew Warren officially seeks reelection, taking on incumbent State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Tonight, as the legal battle over that Warren suspension continues to unfold, 10 Tampa Bay goes one-on-one with the candidates as they share why they believe they're the best fit for Hillsborough County's top legal office.
Warren, a twice-elected State Attorney, was ousted from his seat in 2022 by Governor DeSantis. The Governor said the suspension was based on alleged “neglect of duty” and “incompetence” after he signed a pledge not to prosecute alleged crimes arising from abortion or transgender care. Warren challenged the ruling in federal court. Two courts have now ruled the Governor's suspension violated Warren's freedom of speech -- the decision of whether to reinstate him rests in the hands of a lower court. It's unclear whether that decision will be made before Election Day.
DeSantis appointed Suzy Lopez to fill the vacant seat. Lopez has spent the majority of her career working in the Hillsborough County Court system. In 2005, she became an Assistant State Attorney in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court. In December of 2021, Lopez was appointed to serve as a Hillsborough County Court Judge.
"I'm excited to get back into office to keep fighting for the residents of Hillsborough County," Warren said. "I was twice elected to serve in this office. I was illegally removed, and that's not just my opinion. That's a fact based on what two courts of law have found."
Warren said he's eager to build off the success he had during his six years in office.
"We lowered crime, we made neighborhoods safer, we fought for victims, we improved the system. We stood up for people's values and their freedoms," Warren said.
As for his working relationship with Governor Desantis, he said he is not concerned he would be suspended again if he is reelected.
"Hopefully, he has stopped with the political stunts now that his presidential campaign has fizzled," Warren said. "It's one thing for the Governor to say, 'Well, I didn't know it was illegal and I lost in court.' It's another thing for him to suspend me again, now that he's been told he can't do it."
Warren says prosecutors must look at everything case by case, but urges that he's always followed Florida law.
"I've always followed the law, and that's what a prosecutor does. That's what I've always done as a federal prosecutor and as a state attorney and that's what I'll continue doing," Warren said. "I was elected based on my vision, my values, and my track record of success. You know, my opponent was illegally appointed based on her politics."
Lopez counters his claims and says she was not appointed based on politics but on her merits.
"I was put in this position because it was believed that I was the best choice, and I believe that I've proven that I'm the best choice," Lopez said. "I'm the most qualified candidate because I'm a career prosecutor. I am the only state attorney in over two decades to go on the record in a courtroom for the state of Florida. I'm the only person in this race who's ever tried a case in criminal court on behalf of the people of Hillsborough County, I have tremendous support from law enforcement, from the police, benevolent associations, from the unions."
Lopez did not comment on Warren directly, rather she focused on the future.
"I'm campaigning right now by doing my job. I've got a job to do. we're very busy," Lopez said.
Since announcing her reelection bid last summer, Lopez has brought in more than $400,000 and high-profile endorsements, including from Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister.
She emphasized that she takes a hands-on approach to her job.
"I'm very 'boots on the ground,' she said. "I go to every crime scene that we have, which involves death. I've met with 97 families who have lost somebody as a result of a crime in Hillsborough County. We've given victims a voice that they have not previously had."
There's a third candidate in the race, Democrat Elizabeth Martinez Strauss. She is a Tampa native and third-generation lawyer in Hillsborough County.
In a statement, Martinez Strauss told 10 Tampa Bay: "If Andrew Warren were elected today, he would be removed from office tomorrow. By his own words, he was not going to run unless he got a ruling from the courts that would prevent that. Nothing has changed. Hillsborough County needs a decisive leader who is focused on local people, not national politics."