José Javier Rodríguez
Rodríguez is an attorney from Miami who served in the Florida House and then the Florida Senate before losing his Senate seat in 2020. He served in the Biden administration as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor. He launched his campaign for attorney general on June 2, 2025, saying he wants to be 'the people's lawyer,' and is the Democratic nominee facing incumbent James Uthmeier.
How they got on the ballot: No Democratic primary was held; news reports say Rodríguez was the only qualified Democrat and advanced directly to the general election (Florida Tribune/floridatrib.org; NBC News results page). Note: an earlier Ballotpedia listing named Jim Lewis as a possible primary candidate; 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 insurance Leans agree· stated position
Rodríguez says the attorney general should take on 'multimillion-dollar corporations, especially those in the insurance and utility industries,' go after fraud in property insurance and enforce consumer protections he says recent administrations have ignored. He has not been found to propose rate caps or expanding Citizens.
"Deliver real relief for homeowners and small businesses from skyrocketing insurance costs"
Immigration Leans disagree· based on record
As a state senator Rodríguez voted against SB 168 (2019), which banned 'sanctuary' policies and required local agencies to support federal immigration enforcement. His 2026 campaign has not made immigration a stated priority.
Abortion Leans agree· based on record
Voted against SB 404 (2020), which requires parental consent before a minor's abortion; he left the Senate before the 2022 and 2023 abortion limits and has not campaigned on the six-week law as a candidate for attorney general.
Guns Leans agree· stated position
Rodríguez lists addressing gun violence among his public-safety priorities. He acknowledges that state preemption limits local gun rules but says the attorney general can enforce liability laws, advocate safe storage and work with law enforcement on 'commonsense reforms.' No specific statement on the red-flag law, the age-21 purchase rule or open carry was found.
"Even in a red state, we can lead on gun safety — not just gun control."
Health care Strongly agrees· based on record
As a state senator repeatedly filed and supported bills to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Environment & water Leans agree· stated position
Says he would use the office against polluters: 'If you're polluting the state with algae blooms, we're going to go after you.' He is endorsed by VoteWater and the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.
"If you're polluting the state with algae blooms, we're going to go after you."
Elections & voting Strongly agrees· based on record
Voted against SB 7066 (2019), which requires people with felony convictions to pay fines and fees before their voting rights are restored under Amendment 4.
Crime & policing Leans agree· stated position
Rodríguez frames public safety as one of his three priorities ('crime, costs and corruption'), saying he would support law enforcement, take on the fentanyl crisis, crack down on scammers and protect minors and vulnerable Floridians. He has not been found to address the trade-off between tougher penalties and rehabilitation directly.
"If you're polluting the state with fentanyl, we're going to go after you."
Energy & utilities Leans agree· stated position
Rodríguez publicly called on Attorney General Uthmeier to intervene against Florida Power & Light's roughly $6.9 billion, four-year rate increase before the Public Service Commission, noting past Republican attorneys general had intervened in utility rate cases, and says as attorney general he would 'expose abuses by monopolistic utilities like FPL.' No statement on renewable-energy promotion or fossil-fuel production was found.
Trump administration Strongly disagrees· stated position
Served in the Biden administration as an Assistant Secretary of Labor and campaigns against the current administration's policies, including on immigration enforcement.
No public position found on 8 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Housing affordability, Education & school choice, Growth & development, Marijuana, Gender identity laws, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Gender identity laws: No explicit statement on the gender-affirming-care or classroom-instruction laws found as of Sept 2026; he was included in the early 2026 endorsement slate of SAVE, a South Florida LGBTQ+ rights organization.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- 'The people's lawyer' - crime, costs and corruption — Says he would refocus the attorney general's office on public safety, lowering costs for Floridians and fighting corruption, and 'root out' what he calls corrupt deal makers in Tallahassee.
- Standing up to big business for consumers — Says he will use the office to stand up for consumers against big business and 'fight for the little guy.'
- Fentanyl, scams and protecting minors — Lists taking on the fentanyl crisis, cracking down on scammers and protecting minors and 'Florida's most vulnerable' among his priorities.
- Utility rate oversight (FPL) — Called on the attorney general to intervene against FPL's $6.9 billion rate settlement and says he would use the office to challenge what he calls abuses by monopoly utilities.
- Property-insurance fraud and landlords — Says he would go after fraud in property insurance and 'unjust landlords' and enforce consumer-protection laws.
- Independence of the office — Campaigns on 'bringing independence back' to the attorney general's office from the governor, calling himself the 'people's lawyer' rather than the governor's.
- Protect seniors and veterans from exploitation — Priorities page pledges to 'protect seniors and veterans from exploitation and abuse' and to 'crack down on scammers targeting Florida families, renters or homeowners.'
- Check and balance on the governor — Says the attorney general should be 'a check and balance on the governor's administration' and 'a steady, professional enforcer of the law, not a political operation.'
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Served in the Florida House and Florida Senate (Miami) and as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Biden administration.
- Campaign finance: raised $1.1 million from 1,823 donors as of April 2026 and passed a $2 million milestone by late summer 2026, trailing Uthmeier substantially.
- Senate votes: against SB 168 sanctuary-policy ban (2019), SB 7066 Amendment 4 implementation (2019) and SB 404 parental consent for abortion (2020).
- Voted against SB 7026 (2018), the post-Parkland gun and school-safety law; the Tampa Bay Times reported that Democrats who opposed the bill objected to its program allowing armed school staff, while the bill also raised the purchase age to 21 and created the red-flag process.
- Born Aug. 8, 1978, in Miami; Brown University (2000), Peace Corps 2000-2003, Harvard Law School (2006); Florida House 2012-2016, Florida Senate 2016-2020; lost his 2020 re-election by 32 votes in a race later found to involve a funded 'ghost' candidate; U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training 2024-January 2025.
- Campaign finance (per Sparker's Soapbox compilation of state filings): about $1.2 million from 1,958 donors, 92% in-state, plus $66,850 from political committees, mostly labor unions.
Endorsements (as reported)
- Florida AFL-CIO
- SEIU Florida
- Florida Professional Firefighters, AFSCME Florida and UNITE HERE Florida locals
- U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost
- SAVE (South Florida LGBTQ+ advocacy organization)
- Former Attorney General Bob Butterworth, former CFO Alex Sink, former state Rep. Sean Shaw and former Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg
- Former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and Parkland parent Fred Guttenberg
- VoteWater, Latino Victory Fund, End Citizens United, Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida