Uthmeier Takes Reins as Attorney General

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE — With Gov. Ron DeSantis describing him as a “bulldog,” James Uthmeier was elevated Monday to become Florida attorney general after serving as the governor’s chief of staff.

While DeSantis had said earlier he would appoint Uthmeier to succeed former Attorney General Ashley Moody, he made it official during a brief ceremony at the Old Capitol. DeSantis last month appointed Moody to the U.S. Senate, after Marco Rubio was picked by President Donald Trump to become U.S. secretary of state.

“This was not a very difficult decision for me to put James as the next attorney general,” DeSantis said. “Because I know he’s got the foundation. I know he’s got the proper worldview.”

Uthmeier will serve until the end of the attorney general’s current term in 2026 and would be eligible to run for two additional four-year terms.

Uthmeier said he will approach the office with an “America first agenda” that fights drug cartels and maintains DeSantis’ approach to government.

“We will not stand idly by as the left tries to infiltrate our institutions and use the court system to indoctrinate our kids,” Uthmeier said. “We will fight the activists that try to weaken our duly enacted laws, that try to challenge our constitutional order and try to harm the unborn.”

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican and DeSantis ally, praised Uthmeier for helping advance DeSantis’ priorities.

“He’s aggressive. He takes no B.S. And he gets things done,” Ingoglia told reporters after the event. “A lot of the things we’ve been able to accomplish as a state is because of Ron DeSantis’ vision and James Uthmeier’s execution.”

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried described the appointment as DeSantis further “weaponizing the judicial branch of government” as Uthmeier has “shown he is willing to do anything” to assist the governor. The event came after DeSantis reached agreement last week with legislative leaders on an immigration plan after a public spat.

“While I’m sure James is relieved to be getting out of the governor’s office after negotiating a peace treaty in the Republican civil war, his confirmation today should be concerning to all Floridians — bringing us one step closer to totalitarianism in the state of Florida,” Fried said in a statement.

DeSantis acknowledged that the formal appointment of Uthmeier had remained pending efforts to agree on a plan to help carry out Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The Legislature passed the agreed-upon plan Thursday. Uthmeier worked behind the scenes on the issue.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said he expects DeSantis and Uthmeier to remain in lockstep on addressing immigration and drug trafficking.

“When you look at the successes we’ve had in Florida, James has been a big part of it,” Power said.

A Destin native, Uthmeier has worked in the governor’s office since 2019, though he took a leave of absence to run DeSantis’ unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign. After returning to the governor’s office, Uthmeier served as chairman of political committees that backed a successful DeSantis-led fight last year against ballot proposals that would have allowed recreational use of marijuana and enshrined abortion rights in the state Constitution.

Uthmeier previously worked as a senior adviser under then-U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and at the Washington-based law firm Jones Day. After going to the University of Florida, he earned a law degree from Georgetown University.

DeSantis has already outlined some potential initiatives that Uthmeier could undertake as attorney general.

During a Feb.8 appearance at the Yale Federalist Society, DeSantis suggested that Florida could look into Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for his advice during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a pre-emptive federal pardon as a hedge against what Biden said could be politically motivated attacks.

“Biden intended to shield (Fauci) from accountability, and it may have actually sparked state-based efforts to ensure his accountability,” DeSantis told Federalist Society members.

The announcement of Uthmeier’s appointment came hours before the state Cabinet was scheduled to meet Monday afternoon at Northwest Florida State College. DeSantis and Cabinet members were expected to meet for the first time as the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, which was created as part of last week’s legislation.

In addition to Uthmeier, the Cabinet includes Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. But Patronis has submitted his resignation, effective March 31, as he runs in a special election for a Panhandle congressional seat. The special election is April 1.

DeSantis also will appoint a successor to Patronis.

Jason Weida, who led the state Agency for Health Care Administration the past two years, has been named as DeSantis’ new chief of staff.