Uthmeier Wins Florida Attorney General Race

Republican incumbent James Uthmeier defeated Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez in the Florida attorney general contest.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Uthmeier Wins Florida Attorney General Race

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Republican James Uthmeier won the Florida Attorney General race against Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez, according to a projection on November 4, 2026. Uthmeier was first appointed to the post by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025, succeeding Sen. Ashley Moody.

Why it matters

The result keeps the Florida Attorney General's office under Republican control and extends the post held by Uthmeier since his 2025 appointment. Voters across Florida chose between two candidates with distinct political and legal backgrounds.

The race was a head-to-head contest between Uthmeier and Rodriguez, with the projection issued on November 4, 2026. Official vote counts and the final margin were not included in the available information.

The players

James Uthmeier

Uthmeier is a Republican attorney who previously served as counsel to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, as chief of staff to Governor DeSantis, and as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Jose Javier Rodriguez

Rodriguez is a Democrat and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training who also served in the Florida Senate and Florida House of Representatives.

Ron DeSantis

DeSantis is the Republican governor of Florida who appointed Uthmeier as attorney general in 2025 and later made him his campaign manager.

The details

Uthmeier, a Republican, had been appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025 and succeeded Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Florida. His opponent, Jose Javier Rodriguez, is a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training and a former Florida state senator and House representative.

2016: Uthmeier served as counsel to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
2021 to 2023: Uthmeier served as chief of staff for DeSantis's administration.
2023: Uthmeier became campaign manager for Governor DeSantis.
2025: DeSantis appointed Uthmeier as Attorney General.
November 4, 2026: Uthmeier was projected winner of the Attorney General race.

Election Context

Uthmeier's path mirrors the 2025 appointment-then-election pattern that DeSantis used to fill the Florida Attorney General vacancy left by Ashley Moody. The projected win extends that pattern from appointment to a full elected term.

Florida residents will have an elected attorney general who holds the state's top legal office for the next term. The outcome determines who leads legal action on behalf of the state in the coming years.

The takeaway

Statewide legal offices in Florida are increasingly filled by appointees who later win election, so voters should track how an incumbent's record develops in office.