GOP candidate bails from Orange-Osceola state attorney race in Florida

ORLANDO, Florida — Seth Hyman, a criminal defense attorney who was the GOP nominee to be the next Orange-Osceola state attorney, filed to drop from the race Wednesday and announced his support for current top prosecutor Andrew Bain.

In a statement to supporters published online hours after officially withdrawing, Hyman cited two reasons for his move: a meager war chest compared to his opponents and his concern that his candidacy boosted the chances of suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell, a Democrat who is vying to get her job back.

Polling from Worrell’s campaign released in July suggested she would cruise to victory in November in a three-way race, sparking fears of vote-splitting between Bain, who is not affiliated with any party, and the Republican candidate.

“If Worrell is re-elected, there will be an exodus of talent, chaos will return, and her never-ending battles with law enforcement will resume,” Hyman said in his statement backing Bain. “To those who disagree with her firing, I ask you not to cast a ‘protest vote’ for Worrell, as that will not do anything to harm the Governor, that will only harm the people of this community. Vote for Andrew Bain because of what he has accomplished as State Attorney over the past year.”

The decision to withdraw comes two weeks after Hyman won the Republican nomination against fellow attorney Thomas Feiter in a landslide. Hyman was endorsed by the Republican parties in Orange and Osceola counties as well as the Florida GOP.

Under Florida law, filling the new vacancy for the Republican ticket in state attorney race would be the task of state and county party officials. Feiter and representatives of the GOP chapters did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

The November race for State Attorney is billed as a referendum on the progressive prosecutorial visions of Worrell and her predecessor, Aramis Ayala. In 2023, Worrell was removed from office after DeSantis accused her of dereliction of duty, though the Orlando Sentinel reported some of the governor’s arguments, namely botched Osceola County drug trafficking investigations, were dubious. DeSantis appointed Bain to replace her.

Worrell has previously criticized her removal as political retaliation by the governor, arguing she was merely exercising her legal discretion as state attorney. Last month, Bain boasted about his accomplishments in his initial year in office, among them crediting his administration for filling vacant positions at the office, including with former prosecutors said to have been disgruntled with Ayala and Worrell.

Neither Worrell nor Bain’s campaigns responded to news of Hyman’s withdrawal. The candidates for State Attorney are scheduled to appear in a debate Sept. 11, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Orange County.

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