Andrew Warren rakes in $100K after jumping into race for the State Attorney seat Gov. DeSantis took from him

Former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren says he raised $100,000 from 350 donors in less than 14 days.

“This incredible milestone speaks volumes about the dedication and support of our community, as well as the importance of this race across our state,” Warren wrote last week in a campaign announcement to supporters.

The campaign announcement didn’t specify who Warren’s donors were or whether the funds were raised for his campaign, his political committee, or both. But it acknowledges the challenge Warren is facing after jumping into the race late in the game.

“We are up against a well-funded opponent backed by powerful elites in Tallahassee who are determined to exploit the Governor’s unconstitutional actions,” the email blast reads, referencing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension of Warren from office. “But with your continued support, we can reclaim a cherished value of our democracy: that the people decide who serves in elected office.”

DeSantis suspended Warren from office in August 2022, claiming that Warren refused to enforce laws. Warren had pledged not to enforce Florida’s law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy or laws regarding gender-affirming care. 

Warren sued to get his job back. A federal judge last January ruled that DeSantis violated the Florida Constitution and Warren’s First Amendment rights, but he declined to restore Warren to his post, citing the 11th Amendment to the Constitution limiting federal autonomy over states. 

An appeals court this January rebuffed the initial ruling, remanding the case back to the lower court and tasking DeSantis with demonstrating how he would have suspended Warren for issues that didn’t violate Warren’s First Amendment rights. The lower court has yet to act, leaving Warren in limbo as he campaigns for re-election to a job he no longer has. 

Running the 13th Judicial Circuit in his stead is Suzy Lopez, a Republican DeSantis appointed to replace Warren following the suspension. Lopez is now seeking election to the seat and has — as Warren’s campaign noted — plenty of resources to give her an edge. Lopez has raised more than $288,000 as of the end of March, and still has well over $200,000 on hand. She has another nearly $150,000 left in her affiliated political committee, Friends of Suzy Lopez. 

Making matters even more complicated for Warren, he’s also facing a Primary challenger for the Democratic nomination. But that opponent, Elizabeth Martinez Strauss, raised only a little more than $21,000. 

Warren’s campaign financials are not yet publicly available — the most recent reports due only cover March, before Warren entered the race. But he has a political committee, Safer Stronger Florida, that has less than $15,000 on hand. 

Warren has twice been elected to serve as State Attorney in Hillsborough County, first in 2016 and again in 2020. 

The county has changed much since 2020, with Republicans dominating races up and down the ballot in 2022, including unseating two County Commissioners and regaining a majority on the dais. 

And Lopez has an impressive list of supporters, including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the state Police Benevolent Association and local chapters in Tampa, St. Pete (Suncoast) and West Central Florida, and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.