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.
Campaign finance: state and county candidates file with the Florida Division of Elections or the county Supervisor of Elections. Search contributions ↗
Sources last checked 2026-09-21. Report an error ↗
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."
Growth & development Leans agree· stated position
In a Sept. 21, 2026 interview Rodriguez said he would not use the Attorney General's office to override local governments, joking that he would earn the nickname 'Home Rule Jose,' and named crime, synthetic drugs, big tech, costs and corruption as his five priorities.
"Local jurisdictions, if they're in compliance with the law, do not need somebody in Tallahassee dictating to them how they should do things."
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 7 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, 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.'
- Hope Florida / role of the office — Rodríguez says the attorney general should answer questions about Alligator Alcatraz and the Hope Florida investigation, and frames his candidacy as 'no one is above the law, including state government itself,' with a focus on 'crime, cost, corruption,' consumer protection, insurers and utilities, and minimum-wage enforcement.
- Challenged Uthmeier to a University of Florida student-run debate — On Sept. 20, 2026 Rodriguez's campaign challenged Uthmeier to a student-run debate at the University of Florida the following afternoon, saying the Attorney General should answer questions about the Everglades detention center known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' and the Hope Florida investigation. Uthmeier did not respond and the debate did not take place.
- 'Give 'Em Hell' statewide advertising campaign — In late September 2026 Rodriguez launched a statewide broadcast and digital advertising campaign, in English and Spanish, built around his background as a labor lawyer and state legislator.
- Statewide ad campaign and unanswered debate challenge (campaign activity) — Rodriguez launched a multimillion-dollar English- and Spanish-language broadcast and digital ad campaign titled 'Give 'Em Hell' on Sept. 27, 2026, centered on his background and criticism of Uthmeier. His Sept. 20 challenge to a student-run debate at the University of Florida drew no response and no attorney general debate had been scheduled as of Oct. 7, 2026.
- National Democratic spending — The Florida Phoenix reported that the Democratic Attorneys General Association announced a $5 million investment in Rodríguez's campaign in the week before Oct. 14.
- Alligator Alcatraz spending — Rodriguez called the state's immigration detention site a waste: "more than a billion taxpayer dollars were wasted on cruel political stunts." He lists reining in utilities among his priorities.
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
- Palm Beach Post Editorial Board
- The Bradenton Times (editorial recommendation)
- Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil
- Florida Planned Parenthood PAC
- Sierra Club Florida
- Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board
- Miami Herald Editorial Board
- South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board