As Hillsborough County residents gear up for the upcoming elections, the race for state attorney is emerging as a particularly contentious one. The race began when Democrat Andrew Warren was ousted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed Suzy Lopez as his replacement. Warren’s progressive approach to criminal justice reforms clashed with DeSantis’ conservative views, leading to his removal from office.
The race between Warren and Lopez is shaping up to be a battle between differing ideologies and approaches. Warren’s focus on criminal justice reforms, including expanding civil citations for minor offenses and avoiding charges for certain low-level crimes, contrasts with Lopez’s more traditional tough-on-crime stance. Under her watch, the number of juveniles charged as adults and death penalty prosecutions have increased significantly.
Warren has framed his campaign as a fight for democracy, arguing that DeSantis interfered with the will of the voters by removing him from office. He has accused Lopez of being a “puppet” of DeSantis and has highlighted legal rulings that found the governor violated his rights. Both candidates have also made misleading claims during the campaign, with Warren taking credit for a drop in crime that occurred before he took office and Lopez falsely accusing Warren of not prosecuting rioters in 2020.
Support for the candidates is divided, with Lopez receiving significant backing from Republican allies and DeSantis-linked political committees. Warren, on the other hand, has support from criminal defense lawyers and retired judges who have worked with him in the past. The outcome of this race will have a significant impact on the criminal justice system in Hillsborough County and could set a precedent for future state attorney elections in Florida.
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