Suzy Lopez grows war chest to $580K as Andrew Warren fights to get his job back

Susan Lopez's former boss was not a big fan.

Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez has raised more than $580,000 for her race in the 13th Judicial Circuit, as she seeks election to the position after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022.

That includes nearly $364,000 raised to her campaign account since launching her bid 11 months ago, and another $211,000 raised to her affiliated political committee, Friends of Suzy Lopez.

Her most recent fundraising includes more than $75,000 raised via her campaign account from April 1 through the end of May, and more than $26,000 added to her committee in the same span.

Lopez, a Republican, does not face a Primary opponent. She’ll face whoever wins the Democratic Primary — either Andrew Warren or Elizabeth Martinez Strauss — in the November General Election.

Warren, who was twice elected to the seat in 2016 and 2020, was suspended and ultimately removed from office by DeSantis in 2022. DeSantis cited Warren’s pledge not to prosecute abortion-related crimes after Roe v. Wade was overturned, among other administrative priorities within his office at the time.

Warren sued to get his job back. After a series of cases, which included a Judge finding that DeSantis had violated Warren’s First Amendment rights, Warren wasn’t ultimately granted a reprieve from his removal. He initially said he wouldn’t seek re-election, but reversed that decision in April.

Warren’s campaign raised nearly $190,000 from the time he announced his election through the end of May, and another nearly $19,000 to his affiliated political committee, Safer Stronger Florida, during the same time frame. Between the two accounts he maintains more than $190,000 on hand. Lopez has more than $440,000 on hand between her two accounts.

“This election offers voters a clear choice for State Attorney. I am a career prosecutor trusted and endorsed by law enforcement to keep Hillsborough safe,” Lopez said. “My opponents are radical left politicians who will experiment with the law and turn a blind eye to crime. As State Attorney, I will continue to uphold the law, stand with law enforcement, put criminals behind bars, and fight for justice for victims and their families.”

Lopez said she was grateful for the “overwhelming support” for her campaign and said she “will never stop working to keep Hillsborough safer.”

While Lopez has the overall fundraising momentum, and a massive lead on cash-on-hand funds, Warren won the reporting period. Lopez brought in more than $100,000 during the two-month period, while Warren raised more than $200,000.

Lopez’s more than $26,000 raised to her committee includes a $5,000 check from Robert Breen Jr., a South Tampa retiree, and $5,000 from Tampa investment management firm 602 Dynamic. Former House Speaker Will Weatherford, a Republican who now runs an investment firm, contributed $1,000.

The more than $77,000 raised through Lopez’s campaign includes $1,000 contributions from 36 donors. That includes Robert Watkins & Company. Nancy and Robert Watkins are prominent conservative donors and accountants who recently helped Lopez raise funds.

Warren’s committee, meanwhile, brought in $9,000 from the Yerrid Law Firm, $5,000 from retiree Vincent Pawlowski and $1,000 from Betty Castor, among others.

His campaign brought in 684 individual contributions, averaging about $277 each. He received several maxed $1,000 contributions, including from LSN Law, LSN Partners, several unions, Dreyfus Law, the Sammis Law Firm, Castor, lawyer Jim Shimberg, Democratic consultant Christopher Mitchell and others.

Compounding Warren’s money deficit compared to Lopez is the fact that he must first get through a Primary. But Strauss has raised less than $28,000 for her campaign, including just $6,600 in the most recent two-month reporting period. Most of that was raised from February through March, before Warren had decided to jump into the race.

After 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.

The county has changed much since Warren was last elected in 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, 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.