Who will be the next Sheriff of Osceola County? Marcos Lopez, who was first elected in 2020, is running for re-election and hopes to continue leading the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. He is challenged by Donnie Martinez, an Osceola County businessman with no law enforcement experience who believes a “new vision” is needed for the sheriff’s department.

FOX 35 Orlando hosted a 30-minute debate between Lopez and Martinez. You can watch the full debate in the video player above.

Who is Marcos Lopez?

Occupation: Current Sheriff of Osceola County
Part: Democratic Party
Education: Osceola Technical Education Center Police Academy
Campaign website: sheriffmarcoslopez.com

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was born in Chicago and raised in Central Florida.

He joined the U.S. Army when he was 17 and served for 22 years, according to his official biography. In the US, he worked as a linguist in the US Navy and knew English, Spanish and Portuguese. He became certified in explosive ordnance, counterterrorism and oversaw logistics operations.

He joined the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in 2003, where he worked in several divisions, including communications and patrol, criminal investigations and the community response team. He graduated from the Osceola Technical Education Center Police Academy. He was sworn in as sheriff in 2021, becoming the first Hispanic sheriff in the county and state of Florida, his bio says.

According to his biography, he started the Real Time Crime Center and added specialized units to OCSO, including the Tactical Anti-Crime Unit, the Osceola County Narcotics Bureau and a fugitive extradition program with Puerto Rico. He also launched Woman on Watch, an all-female police academy and anti-harassment initiatives.

As sheriff, Lopez was part of several investigations. An Osceola County grand jury recommended the sheriff’s office change the way it is handles vehicle pickups following a fatal deputy-involved shooting out of a target in Kissimmee in 2022. Earlier this year, questions were raised after a “investigative photography” the location where Madeline Soto’s body was found was mistakenly posted on the sheriff’s personal social media account.

Who is Donnie Martinez?

Occupation: Businessman
Part: Republican Party
Education: Law Enforcement Academy Program at Eastern Florida State College
Campaign website: martinez4sheriff.com

Donnie Martinez is an Osceola County businessman. He was born and raised in Osceola County and attended Osceola County schools, according to his biography.

He worked at Winn-Dixie as a teenager and was promoted to management, his bio says. He owned several businesses, including a pool company, lawn care, real estate and property management. He has never worked in law enforcement before, but attended Eastern Florida State College’s law enforcement academy to learn about the latest training for police officers, his bio says.

He believes it’s time for “new leadership and a new vision” for OCSO, focused on community-based, intelligence-led policing. He wants to see more investment in tools, technology and training.