Democrat Worrell on track to win office
Criminal justice reformer Monique Worrell claimed victory over “law and order” candidate Jose Torroella Tuesday night in the race for Orange-Osceola state attorney, though results in Osceola were delayed.
Around 8:40 p.m., the Democrat was leading with 66% of votes, though Osceola had not posted any results from its precincts, according to the Florida Division of
Elections. The vote currently includes early voting totals from Osceola and Orange, as well all but one precinct in Orange.
Worrell said voters overwhelmingly demanded “reform and a proven leader who will make our community safer, stand with victims and restore trust in the rule of law.”
“Now, the real work begins,” she said in a statement on Facebook. “Reshaping our justice system is a huge undertaking that will require your ongoing support and enthusiasm. Please stay involved and help me build the fair and just system we deserve.”
Worrell, 45, would replace outgoing State Attorney Aramis Ayala, her current boss who decided against running for a second term.
She ran on a platform focused on police accountability, reducing mass incarceration and juvenile justice.
Worrell, who clinched the August primary with 43% of the vote, attracted national attention to the race and gained the financial advantage with $1.5 million in ads from a political action committee backed by the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and Democratic billionaire George Soros.
After graduating from the University of Florida’s law school, Worrell became an assistant public defender and then a private criminal defense attorney. She returned to her alma mater, teaching law students for 16 years and becoming a founding director of UF’s Criminal Justice Center, according to her campaign.
She was hired by Ayala in 2018 as director of the Conviction Integrity Unit, which investigates claims of innocence by those already found guilty. Worrell left a year later to work as chief legal
officer for Reform Alliance, the national criminal justice reform organization co-founded by Jay-Z and Meek Mill.
Worrell was rehired last month by Ayala to work again in the Conviction Integrity Unit.
During the primary, Ayala initially supported her second-incommand Deborah Barra to replace her before switching her support to Worrell.
If she becomes the region’s top prosecutor, Worrell will
oversee thousands of criminal cases across Orange and Osceola counties.
She has pledged to hold accountable police officers who engage in serious misconduct and end “unnecessary incarceration” for those convicted of nonviolent offenses. Worrell has also pushed for reforming cash bail to eliminate penalties on the poor; focusing on rehabilitation for people addicted to drugs; and keeping children out of the juvenile justice system or adult court when possible.