A group of Democratic Florida state lawmakers blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for suspending State Attorney Monique Worrell (D) on Wednesday, criticizing the governor for his “dereliction of duty.”
“But let’s talk about what Florida’s failing governor — now losing presidential primary candidate — doesn’t want us to talk about,” Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon said at a press conference. “Let’s talk about Governor Ron DeSantis’s dereliction of duty since he mentioned it today.”
“Governor, you are not above the law,” Nixon continued. “Where does it end? When is enough truly enough? Floridians deserve better than this. You know it, I know it, and from your poll numbers dropping, America knows it, too. You want to talk about dereliction of duty, you need to look in the mirror.”
Worrell was elected to serve as the state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial District in 2020 and was running for reelection in 2024.
The Florida governor suspended Worrell on Wednesday, saying her “administration of criminal justice in the 9th Circuit has been clearly and fundamentally derelict so as to constitute both neglect of duty and incompetence.” Worrell criticized DeSantis over her suspension, labeling him as a “weak governor.”
Other Florida Democrats also slammed the decision, decrying it as politically and racially motivated.
“This is political pandering,” State Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby said at the press conference. “This is a man that has a failed presidential campaign and that he is really trying to reignite it on the backs of Black people, specifically Black women, as in State Attorney Monique Worrell, and so it is disappointing to see that this complete overreach has happened.”
State Rep. Anna Eskamani, who represents Orlando, called the suspension “anti-democratic.”
“This is absolutely disgusting — State Attorney Monique Worrell is a duly elected official and the only Black woman serving as a State Attorney in Florida right now,” she said in a statement.
“Her removal is a complete slap in the face to Orange and Osceola County residents and another example of Governor DeSantis eroding our local control and democracy. This politically motivated action by the Governor in a predominantly Democratic part of the state should alarm everyone. DeSantis is extreme, unfit to serve, and must be held accountable.”
Worrell and her supporters have claimed that the move is just as much about DeSantis’s presidential campaign as it is about state politics.
“Just days ago, Monique spoke out against Florida’s new education standards; standards that would teach our children that there was some kind of benefit to slavery,” the Florida Democratic Party said in a statement. “Ron’s extremist administration has consistently targeted the rights and freedoms of Black and brown Floridians, and the suspension of State Attorney Worrell — the only Black woman state attorney in Florida — is clearly racially and politically motivated.”
His campaign is going through a major shake-up as support wanes; he replaced his campaign manager Tuesday. DeSantis is also under pressure from major donors to change its strategy. He fired about a third of his campaign staff last month.
The governor is at about 16 percent support for the GOP presidential nomination, according to recent national polling averages. That’s down from about 20 percent when he launched his campaign officially in late May, and a significant fall from January, when early polls put him nearly neck and neck with former President Trump.
Trump retains a large lead in the race, according to polls, with about 52 percent support. DeSantis received the second-most support of any candidate.