Gabrielle Russon
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Andrew Bain to once again serve as an Orange County Court Judge.
DeSantis’ press release announcing the move came with little fanfare and didn’t acknowledge Bain’s colorful and sensational political history in Orange County.
Bain had served as an Orange County Judge since 2020 before DeSantis controversially appointed him to be the Orange-Osceola State Attorney in 2023, after the Governor suspended Democrat Monique Worrell from office.
Worrell called her suspension a political hit job; DeSantis said Worrell was unfit to serve.
Bain decided to run for a full term as State Attorney last year as an independent in the blue county, though his campaign got support from the GOP.
A Republican opponent also running for State Attorney accused Bain of conspiring with DeSantis and Republicans. Bain denied the allegations.
The opponent claimed that Seth Hyman, who won the Republican Primary, was a ghost candidate. Hyman dropped out a few weeks after his victory.
Hyman’s exit set the stage for a head-to-head matchup between Bain and Worrell. Having no Republican in the race was supposed to boost Bain and give him the GOP vote. Hyman denied the allegations that he was a ghost candidate and said he ended his campaign for financial reasons.
Ultimately, Bain lost to Worrell in November’s election. She beat him with 57% of the vote.
Bain initially refused to help Worrell transition back into the office in January.
Worrell continues to face scrutiny from Republican leaders as some fear DeSantis will throw Worrell out again, despite getting elected by the people, and install Bain a second time.
Attorney General James Uthmeier slammed Worrell this week for her handling of a child pornography case — in Lake County, which isn’t in her jurisdiction as Orange-Osceola’s top prosecutor.
After losing the election, Bain became the Head of Government and Business Engagement at Byrd Campbell, P.A., according to DeSantis’ press release.
