Another state prosecutor fired by DeSantis is running to get his job back. What should know?

ORLANDO — After being suspended last year, Orange-Osceola State’s Attorney Monique Worrell fought to get her job back. His impeachment by Governor Ron DeSantisshe accused him of “faithfully” prosecuting the crime and not prosecuting it more aggressively.

The Democrat’s ouster — following a pattern of being “soft on crime” by DeSantis and his allies and public spats with law enforcement leaders in Orange and Osceola counties — led to the appointment of former Orange County judge Andrew Bain. Running without party affiliation, he is trying to keep his seat with a tougher approach to prosecuting people accused of violent crimes.

Worrell’s suspension Approved by the Florida Supreme Court, making him one of two progressives seeking to get his job back as their district’s attorney general. The other is in Hillsborough County, where State Attorney Andrew Warren was also suspended by the governor and is running against his replacement — and questions remain about whether he would be suspended again by DeSantis if they win.

But ultimately, their race poses a critical question to voters: Did the governor get it right?

Final statements to voters

Worrell has defended his tenure as state attorney, arguing in media outlets and public debates that he followed the law when combating violent crime and offered alternatives to prosecution for some first-time offenders.

“This suspension is invalid,” Worrell said he told the Orlando Sentinel editorial board. Yes, there are things we can all improve on and do differently every day, but my stance and my perspective on politics is not one of them.”

Meanwhile Bain boasts about turning the office around, It is nearly fully staffed and is going after people accused of violent crimes more aggressively, expanding some of the same programs under Worrell and creating others through community partnerships.

“This is a product of what needs to be done, not just words,” Bain said during the debate on September 20.

While running as a candidate with no party affiliation, he has the support of primarily conservative voters, law enforcement and Republican party leaders – the latter implicated in conspiracy charges putting forward a candidate only for the primary winner, defense attorney Seth Hyman, to leave shortly after. Both deny involvement in a conspiracy to make the campaign a two-way race, although Hyman has previously acknowledged the state GOP’s support for Bain.

Bain and Worrell have backed calls for an investigation into the matter, although it has not yet been opened.

While both candidates claim to have contributed to a decline in violent crime in recent years, they have made caustic remarks about each other’s approaches to prosecution. Sentinel evaluated some of the claims made in the discussions September 11 And 20 September.

Campaign fundraising and rival PACs

When it comes to campaign money, Worrell, who has been fundraising since announcing his re-election bid last year, has raised significantly more money than Bain, raising nearly $352,000 as of Oct. 18, according to the most recent campaign finance records. Most come from small donations, ranging from lawyers and activists to professors and artists. While most contributions appeared to come from donors living in Orange and Osceola or other parts of Florida, many came from out of state due to the high-profile suspension and subsequent quest to return to office.

He also received support from Democratic-aligned political committees, such as the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee, which funded mailers for his campaign.

Bain has raised nearly $181,000 since it announced its campaign in April; that’s just over half of Worrell’s total. Most of that money came in the form of a $100,000 loan from Bain. The rest came from small donations from current and former law officers, lawyers and many other professionals.

But records show the money came from another source: Justice PC, a political committee whose chairman is Bain’s wife, Andrea Singh. The committee, which Singh began chairing shortly after Bain’s campaign announcement, raised another $263,000 ahead of the election. The largest single donation came from attorney Dan Newlin, who made headlines this year by raising millions for former President Donald Trump and sparked controversy by wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat in TV ads.

In addition to funding pro-Bain digital and radio ads, Justice PC donated $17,824 to the Republican Party of Florida, according to spending reports. Federal Communications Commission records show Bain received more advertising support from GOP states, which bought TV ads supporting him and other candidates.

Important confirmations

Bain is the candidate backed by law enforcement. In the weeks leading up to Worrell’s dismissal, law enforcement leaders and unions clamored for his removal amid public debate over the handling of specific cases. Orlando police officers shooting with Charges dropped against a suspect in deadly shooting Outside of the Jones High School football game.

He has received endorsements from Orange County Sheriff John Mina as well as prominent law enforcement agencies, from the Florida Police Benevolent Association to the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93, the union that represents Orange County deputies. He also has the support of the West Orange Political Alliance, which represents the interests of a part of the county where police presence has increased in recent years to combat crime in its most vulnerable areas, such as Pine Hills.

“Public Attorney Bain is committed to protecting the residents of Orange and Osceola Counties and ensuring that justice is administered fairly and impartially for all,” the organization said in its endorsement. Bain is also backed by several mayors in Orange and Osceola and has the backing of former Orange Commissioner Victoria Siplin, former state Sen. Gary Siplin and retired judge and 2020 state attorney candidate Belvin Perry, an all-Democratic group.

Worrell’s team boasts its own collection of endorsements. One is the Sentinel’s editorial board, which makes decisions separately from the news operation.

Others include former Florida Supreme Court justices, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Orlando, and several current Democratic state legislators. That includes State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, who said Worrell has “a proven track record of advocating for victims while also focusing on rehabilitation.”

“Monique is a champion of human-centered approaches to public safety, fighting for victims while helping build a criminal justice system that holds everyone accountable and delivers society-wide success,” Eskamani added.