ORLANDO, Fla. — One of two Democratic state attorneys in Florida who are Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis removed from office, in what opponents say were political moves to win back their old jobs from voters.
In the Orlando area, Democrat Monique Worrell on Tuesday defeated Andrew Bain, the candidate who replaced DeSantis with Worrell last year and who ran without party affiliation. In the Tampa area, Andrew Warren, who removed DeSantis in 2022, conceded to Suzy Lopez, the Republican DeSantis had chosen to replace the Democrat.
DeSantis claimed Worrell failed to prosecute crimes committed by minors and did not seek mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes, endangering the public in her central Florida district. She disputed his claims as false and politically driven.
In a speech to supporters on Tuesday evening, Worrell dedicated the victory to her father, who died unexpectedly last June. “Before he took his last breath, he said to me, ‘Just sit back down,’” she said.
“I want to thank the voters for supporting me and saying, ‘We don’t believe you, Ron DeSantis,’” Worrell said.
DeSantis removed Warren about his signing of promises that he would not pursue criminal charges against seekers or providers of abortion or gender transition treatments, as well as his policy of not pressing charges for certain low-level crimes.
“I am proud of the race we ran,” Warren said in a statement Tuesday evening. “The best candidate doesn’t always win, especially when the other side cheats, illegally suspends you and then spends millions of dollars on you.”
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to an email inquiry Wednesday.
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