Suzy Lopez seeks full term as Hillsborough's state attorney
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Photo: Courtesy of the state attorney's office
Suzy Lopez, Hillsborough's top prosecutor, filed paperwork Wednesday to run for a full term as the county's state attorney in 2024.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Lopez to replace Andrew Warren after he ousted him last year.
Why it matters: Lopez's candidacy could set up a brutal showdown between the Tampa Republican and Warren, whose removal sent political shockwaves across Florida and spurred several legal challenges.
Flashback: DeSantis suspended Warren last August for "incompetence and willful defiance," citing a statement Warren signed pledging not to prosecute women who violate Florida's abortion ban.
- His attempts to challenge his removal in federal court and the state's Supreme Court have been unsuccessful.
The intrigue: Lopez is the first woman to serve as Hillsborough County's state attorney. She was a county judge before DeSantis tapped her for the post.
What they're saying: "I'm a prosecutor, not a politician, and this office will stay focused on prosecuting criminals, not partisan politics, as long as I’m in charge," Lopez said in an apparent reference to her predecessor.
- "The community needs to know that their state attorney is only interested in finding justice and making certain those guilty of committing crimes pay their debt to our community."
The other side: Warren hasn't filed paperwork to seek re-election. His team said while his focus remains on fighting his "unlawful" suspension, running for another term is still an option.
- "We have had tremendous success making our community safer and our system better," Warren said in a statement to Axios. "I'm confident our community doesn't want to go backward."