James Uthmeier
James William Uthmeier was born Nov. 25, 1987, and grew up in Destin, attending Fort Walton Beach High School. He graduated from the University of Florida, where he competed in track and field, and from Georgetown University Law Center in 2014. He practiced at Jones Day, served as senior counsel and senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the first Trump administration (2017-2019), then joined Gov. Ron DeSantis' office as deputy general counsel (2019), general counsel (2020) and chief of staff (2021-2025); he also managed DeSantis' 2024 presidential campaign. DeSantis appointed him attorney general in February 2025 after Ashley Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate. He is seeking his first full term and was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
How they got on the ballot: No Republican primary was held; news reports say Uthmeier was the only qualified Republican and advanced directly to the Nov. 3 general election (Florida Tribune/floridatrib.org; WUSF). Note: an earlier Ballotpedia listing had named Steven S. Leskovich as a possible primary opponent; this could not be reconciled because Ballotpedia is blocked in this sandbox.
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Property taxes Leans agree· stated position
Uthmeier has said he supports Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028, arguing the property-tax structure is 'anchored in the Constitution' and the change would let the Legislature make adjustments as needed. At the same time he said the proposal 'could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency' and that sheriffs and law enforcement, who warned of revenue losses, should have been consulted. After a judge found the original ballot summary misleading, his office rewrote it and removed the 'full elimination' language.
"The amendment could certainly have been rolled out with greater transparency. No one wants to defund our incredible sheriffs, yet there were no discussions to involve them in this process."
Immigration Strongly agrees· based on record
As attorney general Uthmeier has made immigration enforcement a signature issue: Florida became the first state with all officers certified under ICE's 287(g) program, he threatened Orange County and Key West officials with removal from office for not honoring 287(g) agreements, he proposed the 'Alligator Alcatraz' Everglades detention facility, and he launched a program to support federal immigration officers. In June 2025 a federal judge held him in civil contempt for continuing to direct enforcement of a state immigration law she had blocked.
"We will not allow this unlawful sanctuary policy in Florida."
Abortion Strongly disagrees· based on record
As DeSantis' chief of staff Uthmeier helped lead the effort that defeated 2024's Amendment 4, which would have repealed the six-week ban. As attorney general he filed a $354 million lawsuit against Planned Parenthood over advertising of abortion medication and intervened in a challenge to the FDA's approval of mifepristone.
Guns Strongly disagrees· stated position
Uthmeier has said the Parkland-era law barring 18-to-20-year-olds from buying firearms is unconstitutional and directed his office not to defend it if it reached the U.S. Supreme Court. After a September 2025 appellate ruling, he declared open carry 'the law of the state' and told police and prosecutors not to arrest people visibly carrying firearms. No statement on the red-flag law was found.
"I believe restricting the ability of Floridians ages 18-20 to purchase firearms runs afoul of our Constitution's Second Amendment."
Education & school choice Leans agree· stated position
Uthmeier's campaign biography says that as Gov. DeSantis' chief of staff he worked to expand school choice (the 2023 universal-voucher law passed during his tenure). As attorney general he has treated voucher eligibility as conditional on compliance with state law, warning Catholic schools that refusing religious vaccine exemptions could disqualify them from scholarships and asserting that vouchers to some Islamic schools violate state law.
Environment & water Leans disagree· based on record
Uthmeier proposed and defended the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention site in the Everglades over lawsuits from conservation groups alleging harm to endangered species, and he subpoenaed the Environmental Law Institute's Climate Judiciary Project as an alleged 'climate cartel' under the state's deceptive-trade-practices law. No statement prioritizing conservation over development was found.
Marijuana Strongly disagrees· based on record
Uthmeier led the political committee that campaigned against the 2024 recreational-marijuana amendment. As attorney general he urged the Florida Supreme Court to reject the 2026 Smart & Safe amendment as misleading and in conflict with federal law, and opened dozens of criminal investigations into the campaign's petition gathering.
Elections & voting Leans disagree· based on record
Uthmeier's election-related actions have focused on citizenship verification and enforcement: Florida joined Iowa, Indiana and Ohio in suing to restore access to the federal SAVE database for checking voter citizenship after a federal judge disabled it, and he announced felony charges against a Canadian permanent resident who registered and voted in Florida. No statement supporting expanded mail voting, drop boxes or rights restoration was found.
Crime & policing Strongly agrees· based on record
Uthmeier says prosecuting child predators is his No. 1 priority and has cited roughly 2,000 predator arrests during his tenure. He has pushed for the death penalty in several high-profile cases, says his office seeks 'the maximum penalty under the law,' and has proposed new criminal penalties for AI chatbot companies. The Governor and Cabinet approved $90 million in grants to local law enforcement for immigration enforcement.
"If you harm a child, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will seek the maximum penalty under the law."
Gender identity laws Strongly agrees· based on record
Uthmeier sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the Endocrine Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics over gender-affirming care for minors, created an Office of Parental Rights to enforce laws on gender transition, library materials and school surveys, and led a 21-state brief supporting a Tallahassee mother's parental-rights case at the U.S. Supreme Court. A federal judge in Chicago granted the AAP a preliminary injunction against him in June 2026.
"In 2023, @GovRonDeSantis signed legislation to ban so-called "gender-affirming care" for kids. Now it's time for accountability!"
Energy & utilities Leans disagree· based on record
Unlike some prior Florida attorneys general, Uthmeier did not intervene before the Public Service Commission against Florida Power & Light's multibillion-dollar rate increase, and he led a multi-state coalition warning corporations about involvement with what he called anticompetitive environmental groups. No statement supporting renewable-energy promotion was found.
Trump administration Strongly agrees· stated position
Uthmeier says he will champion an 'America-first agenda,' filed a 23-state amicus brief supporting President Trump's removal power in Trump v. Slaughter, and celebrated an appellate ruling as 'a win for Florida and President Trump's agenda.' Trump endorsed him in October 2025.
"A win for Florida and President Trump's agenda!"
No public position found on 6 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property insurance, Housing affordability, Health care, Growth & development, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Prosecuting child predators — Says continuing to go after child predators will remain his No. 1 priority if elected; cites roughly 2,000 arrests and a crackdown on social-media platforms used to exploit minors.
- China office and data protection — Opened an office focused on Chinese data threats; says more than a dozen companies are under investigation for devices (medical monitors, security cameras) that send personal data to China.
- Cartels, gangs and traffickers — Pledged at his swearing-in to 'fight back against the cartels, the gangs, and the traffickers' as part of an America-first agenda.
- Big Tech, AI chatbots and consumer protection — Launched a probe into OpenAI, proposed criminal penalties for chatbot companies that abet crimes, sued proxy advisory firms, and sued pharmacy benefit managers Prime Therapeutics and Express Scripts for alleged price fixing.
- Office of Parental Rights — Created a litigation team to take cases parents bring on gender transition, library materials and school surveys; warned Catholic schools that refusing religious vaccine exemptions could cost voucher eligibility and claimed vouchers to Islamic schools violate state law.
- Scam and fraud enforcement — Office secured court orders for more than $4 million against moving-broker scams and a judgment against MV Realty for deceptive homeowner contracts, and recovered funds from Universal Property & Casualty for the Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Held in civil contempt by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in June 2025 for continuing to direct enforcement of a blocked state immigration law; the judge wrote he offered 'a series of implausible interpretations' of his own words.
- The 11th Circuit stayed Judge Williams' injunction against expansion of the Alligator Alcatraz detention site pending appeal (Sept. 2025).
- A Leon County grand jury found $10 million from a Medicaid settlement was 'misappropriated' via the Hope Florida Foundation to political committees; testimony identified Uthmeier's committee Keep Florida Clean as recipient of $8.5 million. The grand jury found insufficient evidence for criminal charges. Uthmeier called the probe a 'politically motivated witch hunt.'
- Florida House Democrats called for his impeachment in September 2026.
- A federal judge in Chicago granted the American Academy of Pediatrics a preliminary injunction against Uthmeier and denied his motion to dismiss (June 2, 2026).
- Filed a Florida-led 23-state amicus brief supporting the president's removal power in Trump v. Slaughter; the Supreme Court sided with Trump 6-3 on June 29, 2026.
- Rewrote the ballot summary of the property-tax Amendment 3 after a judge found the original misleading; removed 'full elimination' language.
- Declared open carry 'the law of the state' after the 1st DCA's Sept. 10, 2025 ruling and directed law enforcement not to arrest people openly carrying; gun-safety groups criticized him for not defending the ban.
- Campaign finance: his political committee Friends of James Uthmeier had raised $9.9 million as of April 2026; his campaign account raised $1.8 million from 1,320 donors including law-enforcement, insurance, real estate and business PACs.
- WGCU reported (July 2026) that the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention site Uthmeier proposed had cost the state roughly $1 billion, with $58 million of $608 million in requested federal reimbursement received at that point.
- Campaign finance (per Sparker's Soapbox compilation of state filings): about $1.8 million raised directly from 1,336 donors plus $131,250 from political committees; the affiliated committee Friends of James Uthmeier had raised $10.1 million.
Endorsements (as reported)
- President Donald Trump
- Republican Party of Florida (unanimous)
- Florida Sheriffs Association (more than 90% of the 67 sheriffs)
- Republican Attorneys General Association; Club for Growth; Associated Industries of Florida