Jose Javier Rodriguez is running against James Uthmeier (R, incumbent); Jim Lewis (D, primary).
Rodriguez is the first major Democrat to run for Florida AG since 2002, when Bob Butterworth was term-limited. If elected, he would be Florida's first Latino Attorney General. He faces Trump-endorsed incumbent James Uthmeier, who has a massive fundraising advantage with $4.3 million in the bank. Rodriguez has raised nearly $700K in 2025 and is backed by the Latino Victory Fund, former State Attorney Dave Aronberg, former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, and former Rep. Sean Shaw.
Rodriguez's 2020 State Senate race was stolen by a "ghost candidate" scheme orchestrated by former Republican Sen. Frank Artiles, who paid a no-party candidate named Alex Rodriguez $44,000 to run and siphon votes. The ghost candidate received over 6,000 votes, and Rodriguez lost by just 34 votes after recount. Artiles was convicted on three felony charges in September 2024 and sentenced to 60 days in jail. Rodriguez's campaign centers on fighting corruption, going after insurance and utility monopolies like FPL, and being "the people's lawyer."
Key dates to watch: Primary on August 18, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.