# James Uthmeier Appointed Florida Attorney General by [[Ron DeSantis]] after [[Ashley Moody]] departed for the U.S. Senate, now facing his first election in November 2026 against Democrat José Javier Rodríguez. Previously served as DeSantis's chief of staff and helped architect the governor's aggressive culture-war legal strategy. The race tests whether a DeSantis-orbit appointee can hold a statewide office in an increasingly competitive Florida. Stakes include enforcement of the state's six-week abortion ban and immigration-related litigation. See [[2026 Key State Races Hub]].