Election 2024: Meet the Candidates for Osceola County Sheriff: Marcos Lopez, Donnie Martinez

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 being 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
Party: Democratic Party
Education: Police Academy at the Osceola Technical Education Center
Campaign website: sheriffmarcoslopez.com

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

He joined the U.S. Army at age 17 and served for 22 years, according to his official biography. In the US, he served as a linguist in the US Navy and was proficient in English, Spanish and Portuguese. He became certified in explosives regulations, counter-terrorism and oversaw logistics operations.

He joined the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office in 2003, where he worked in various departments including communications and patrol, criminal investigations and on the Community Response Team. He graduated from the Osceola Police Academy Technical Education Center. He was sworn in as sheriff in 2021, becoming the first Hispanic sheriff in the county and state of Florida, according to his biography.

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

As sheriff, Lopez has participated in a number of investigations. An Osceola County grand jury recommended that the sheriff’s office change its practices provides vehicle disablement after a fatal deputy-involved shooting outside an Objective in Kissimmee in 2022. Earlier this year, questions were raised after a “research photo” from where Madeline Soto’s body was found was accidentally posted to the sheriff’s personal social media account.

Who is Donnie Martinez?

Occupation: Businessman
Party: 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, according to his biography. He owned several businesses, including a swimming pool company, lawn care, real estate and property management. He has not previously worked in law enforcement, but attended the Eastern Florida State College Law Enforcement Academy to learn about the latest training for police officers, his biography says.

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