Democratic Attorneys General Put $5 Million Behind Bid to Flip Florida AG’s Office

The Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) said on Oct. 8 that it’s putting $5 million into Florida’s attorney general race to help Democrat José Javier Rodríguez unseat Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier.

“Our $5 million investment into Florida is just the start in our support for José Javier Rodríguez to serve as the state’s next attorney general,” DAGA President Sean Rankin said in a statement on Oct. 8. 

Rankin said Rodríguez would stand up to powerful special interests, root out corruption, and enforce consumer protections as communities across Florida struggle with a rising cost of living.

He added that, “Rodríguez will put people first and keep Florida safe. DAGA sees a path to victory with Rodríguez and is now a partner in this fight.”

DAGA works to elect Democratic attorneys general across the country. It announced the spending less than four weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

The attorney general is Florida’s chief legal officer and represents the state in civil lawsuits, including consumer protection cases.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Uthmeier, his former chief of staff, as attorney general in February 2025.

Uthmeier replaced Ashley Moody, whom DeSantis named to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by now Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He also served as counsel to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and was appointed as a senior adviser and counsel to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross during Trump’s first term in the White House.

This is the first time Uthmeier has been on the ballot. President Donald Trump has endorsed him, most recently in a Sept. 6 post on Truth Social.

“One of the absolutely best Attorneys General in the Country is James Uthmeier of the Great State of Florida,” Trump said in the post.

“He stands for everything MAGA—Strong on Crime and Borders, protecting our always under siege Second Amendment, Military and Vets, Low Inflation and Low Taxes, and so much more!”

Rodríguez is a former state senator from Miami who served as an assistant secretary of labor in the Biden administration.

DAGA said in its release that Rodríguez has focused on public safety and transparency and has worked to expand job opportunities.

Rodríguez has built his campaign around what he calls the three C’s of “crime, costs, and corruption.”

Uthmeier’s campaign manager Brittany McGivern in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on Friday criticized funding support coming from outside of Florida for Rodríguez.

“Once again, out-of-state special interests are trying to purchase Florida elections,” she said.

“This time, they’re trying to buy the Florida Attorney General’s Office for José Javier Rodríguez. Out-of-state party bosses don’t get to pick who enforces Florida law.”

McGivern said Uthmeier is delivering results while his opponent takes money from Washington.

She cited what the campaign said were more than 2,000 arrests of child predators since Uthmeier took office, record prison sentences, and more legal action against large corporations than any attorney general in state history.

“Floridians will take results over D.C. money,” she said.

The Republican Attorneys General Association and Rodríguez’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.