No. 20 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Suzy Lopez

Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez didn’t just inherit power — she fought to keep it and won.

Lopez, who serves the 13th Judicial Circuit, has quickly cemented herself as one of the most consequential legal and political figures in Tampa Bay. She leveraged institutional backing and a tough-on-crime message into a decisive 2024 victory over former State Attorney Andrew Warren, who was publicly ousted by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022.

In the process, she became the first woman elected State Attorney in county history.

Appointed by DeSantis to replace Warren, Lopez entered office under intense political scrutiny and at the center of a broader statewide debate over prosecutorial discretion. Rather than serving as a placeholder, she moved quickly to define her tenure. She aligned her Office closely with GOP prosecutorial priorities and rebuilt relationships with law enforcement agencies across the circuit.

Voters ultimately validated that approach. Lopez secured nearly 53% of the vote against Warren, transforming an appointment into an elected term in office.

Emerging from the political saga as the elected leader of roughly 300 employees, and an Office that oversees about 50,000 cases annually, Lopez now sits at the center of the region’s criminal justice system. She has prioritized victim advocacy and direct engagement, including personally meeting with families in homicide cases and launching an online toolkit meant to help victims find support, guidance and essential services.

Lopez has also expanded the agency’s Gun Violence Unit to better prosecute gun-related offenses, emphasized coordination with law enforcement as a cornerstone of her Office’s strategy, and pressed for strong penalties for the most heinous of crimes.

“Suzy Lopez has brought steady leadership and accountability to one of Florida’s most visible prosecutorial offices. As Hillsborough’s elected State Attorney, she has helped lead a large team through a pivotal transition while reinforcing public confidence in the rule of law,” RSA Consulting President Natalie King said.

Her Office recently charged a Seffner man ultimately convicted for attempting to kill a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy while fleeing arrest earlier this year; he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, plus 105 years, in prison. Her Office also prosecuted an illegal immigrant convicted of stabbing his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter to death; that case culminated with a jury recommending the death penalty.

Lopez’s Office also prosecuted a man responsible for crashing into a HCSO officer who sat at a stop sign hours before his retirement. The man was sentenced to 45 years in prison. She also charged a woman who was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for beating her boyfriend’s family dog with a mallet.

Lopez also notably and successfully argued this year against the conditional release of a defendant that pleaded guilty to kidnapping his former boss at gunpoint, and to ensure former Green Bay Packers linebacker Mike Neal remains behind bars until trial over sexual battery charges.

At the community level, Lopez is a member of several legal organizations, including the Hillsborough County Bar Association, Goldburg-Cacciatore and Tampa Bay Inns of Court. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association, the Boys and Girls Club Foundation, and Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education (NOPE) Hillsborough.

She is also a Leadership Tampa alumna and member of the Junior League of Tampa, and is involved with many other community organizations.

At No. 20, Lopez represents a different kind of power player in Tampa Bay. Her influence is measured less by legislation passed or budgets secured, and more by the day-to-day decisions that shape how justice is carried out in one of Florida’s largest judicial circuits.

After surviving a hard-fought election to keep the job, she’s no longer just the Governor’s pick — she’s a proven political force of her own and a tough-on-crime prosecutor that has delivered some tangible results.

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As for methodology, the Tampa Bay region is defined as Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, with Hernando, Polk and Sarasota included when their elected officials impact Pinellas or Hillsborough.

A politician is defined as someone currently in office or actively running for office.

Panelists ranked their Top 25, with a first-place vote earning 25 points, second place earning 24, and so on down to 1 point for 25th. Those totals were combined to produce the final list.

We also want to thank our experienced and knowledgeable panelists, who were essential to developing the 2026 list: Vinik Family Office Chief of Staff Christina Barker; Mercury Public Affairs Managing Director Ashley Bauman; Michael Corcoran and Matt Blair of Corcoran Partners; former Sen. Jeff Brandes; Stephanie Cardozo of The Southern Group; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick managing partner Ron Christaldi; political consultant/strategist Barry Edwards; Vicidial Group President Matt Florell; Sunrise Consulting Group President Shawn Foster; businessman Michael Griffin; St. Pete Catalyst Publisher Joe Hamilton; Clay Hollis of Tucker/Hall; Natalie King of RSA Consulting Group; Moffitt Cancer Center VP of Public Affairs and Communications Merritt Martin; political consultant Chris Mitchell; Mike Moore of The Southern Group; RSA President and CEO Ron Pierce; Tucker/Hall CEO Darren Richards; political consultant Jim Rimes; political consultant Preston Rudie of Catalyst Communications Group; TECO Vice President of State and Regional Affairs Stephanie Smith; lobbyist Alan Suskey of Shumaker Advisors; and Michelle and Peter Schorsch, publishers of Florida Politics.