James Uthmeier
Incumbent (appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, sworn in 2/17/2025 as the 39th Florida Attorney General, at 37 one of the youngest state AGs in the country; born 11/25/1987, Destin, FL; BS/MA University of Florida, JD Georgetown University; previously served as DeSantis' Chief of Staff overseeing 20 state agencies and 100,000+ employees; filed to seek a full term 2/25/2025; facing Steven S. Leskovich in the R primary; Trump-endorsed)
Last updated: 2026-09-09
Integrity & Legal Record 17 / 25
Criminal History
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" arrested OR convicted OR indicted — 2026-08-14]`. No personal criminal charges found.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-14 — no adverse matches
Civil Court History
As Attorney General, Uthmeier is a named defendant/party in numerous official-capacity lawsuits challenging state actions (e.g., Computer & Communications Industry Association v. Uthmeier, litigation over the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility). Official-capacity litigation defending state policy is a routine incident of the AG office and is not treated here as personal adverse conduct. Separately and more significantly: in June 2025, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams (S.D. Fla.) held Uthmeier in civil contempt of court, finding he failed to provide law enforcement agencies actual notice of her restraining order blocking enforcement of Florida's SB 4-C immigration law, after which police continued enforcement/cooperated with ICE. Williams ordered Uthmeier to file biweekly compliance reports, with the possibility of additional sanctions if further violations occurred. The 11th Circuit separately upheld the underlying injunction against SB 4-C (finding it likely preempted by federal law) on June 6, 2025. No indication was found that the contempt finding itself was reversed or appealed as of 2026-08-14. Added 2026-09-09 — Category 1 revisit, rule-of-law cross-reference: A second, distinct data point bears on the same general theme (how Uthmeier's office handles its obligation to enforce/defend Florida law) without constituting a violation or contempt in its own right: on January 19, 2026, his office issued AGO 2026-02, a formal 14-page Advisory Opinion concluding that Florida's race-based-classification, race-based-preference (government contracting), and race-based-quota statutes are unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment and Florida Constitution Article I §2, and stating the office would not defend or enforce them. This is a discretionary legal-policy determination applying a stated constitutional theory — a legitimate, if debatable, exercise of AG authority, not a court finding of wrongdoing like the SB 4-C contempt above — but it is being noted here because it was previously characterized in earlier, less-precise reporting as a vague "won't enforce 84 laws" pattern (now corrected; see the FOLLOW-UP ADDENDUM below and Category 6 § 2A Rights for the fuller verification). Taken together, the SB 4-C contempt finding (a court ruling he violated a specific order) and AGO 2026-02 (a discretionary non-enforcement opinion) are two different-in-kind data points about his approach to legal obligation; they should not be conflated or double-scored, but both are relevant for a complete integrity picture.
- Florida Phoenix — "Federal judge holds AG James Uthmeier in contempt of court" (6/17/2025) — 2026-08-14
- NBC News — "Judge finds Florida attorney general in contempt for defying court order in major immigration case" — 2026-08-14
- CBS Miami / WUSF — reporting on the contempt ruling and SB 4-C injunction — 2026-08-14
- Attorney General Opinion AGO 2026-02 (1/19/2026) — see FOLLOW-UP ADDENDUM (Item 2, verified 2026-08-28) for full primary-source detail — 2026-09-09, cross-referenced
Ethics Violations
No formal ethics complaint or Florida Bar disciplinary action was found. Two documented context items: (1) Uthmeier took a leave of absence from the DeSantis administration from September 2023–January 2024 to work at GrayRobinson, a politically connected law firm that lobbies the state on behalf of clients including Meta, Walt Disney World, and Uber, and which has billed the state $140M+ over five years; what specific work he performed and his compensation were not publicly disclosed. Reporting characterized this as a "revolving door" arrangement raising potential conflict-of-interest concerns, though no formal complaint or violation finding was identified. (2) In late 2025, the Florida Supreme Court rejected a rule-change petition Uthmeier's office had sought, which would have waived the Bar exam requirement for certain government attorneys amid a stated staffing shortage — a policy rebuke, not an ethics violation.
- Yahoo News / Orlando Sentinel — "Uthmeier's brief tenure at GrayRobinson raises potential ethical issues" — 2026-08-14
- Florida Politics / WGCU — "SCOFLA sides with Florida Bar, rejects James Uthmeier push to waive bar exam for government lawyers" — 2026-08-14
- Florida Commission on Ethics — https://ethics.state.fl.us/Complaints/Complaints.aspx — 2026-08-14 — no complaint found
Campaign Finance Violations
No FEC or Florida Elections Commission violation finding (i.e., no adjudicated violation) has been located against Uthmeier's own AG campaign committee. However, revised 2026-08-21 to incorporate a major finding surfaced during Category 2 research: Uthmeier chaired Keep Florida Clean, Inc./PAC (Florida political committee, status "Closed," Chairperson James Uthmeier, Treasurer Abby Dupree), the central vehicle in the "Hope Florida" scandal, now the subject of a sealed grand jury investigation. In brief: Centene Corp.'s 2024 $67M Medicaid settlement with Florida included $10 million directed to the Hope Florida Foundation (tied to Casey DeSantis's welfare initiative); by October 2024 that money had passed through two intermediary nonprofits and $8.5 million was wired to Uthmeier's Keep Florida Clean committee, which spent it opposing 2024's marijuana-legalization ballot measure and funding other DeSantis-aligned committees. At the time, Uthmeier was DeSantis' sitting Chief of Staff, and per PolitiFact's review his office had approved the underlying settlement language before it was signed. It is confirmed that Uthmeier chaired the recipient committee and that his office approved the settlement language; it is not established in available reporting what he personally knew about or authorized regarding the fund transfers specifically. A sealed Leon County grand jury investigation examined how the funds reached the committees; the report remains sealed as of the most recent reporting (August 2026), and no source reviewed shows a subpoena, indictment, or formal legal referral naming Uthmeier personally — his campaign states he "had no role in any grand jury proceedings." Full sourcing and detail is documented in this file's Category 2 § Financial Conflicts of Interest (primary placement), which this Campaign Finance Violations entry cross-references rather than duplicates. Separately, and unrelated: a Miami Herald investigation reportedly examined his campaign contributions alongside official actions taken by his office; no specific violation finding from that investigation was located in available search results, and its content was not directly reviewed.
- See Category 2 § Financial Conflicts of Interest below for full Hope Florida/Keep Florida Clean sourcing (Florida Division of Elections, Sunbiz, PolitiFact, WLRN — all 2026-08-21)
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-14 — no adverse matches for a formal FEC/FEC violation against his own campaign
- Miami Times — reference to Miami Herald investigation of contributions/official actions — 2026-08-14 — full investigation content not directly reviewed
Residency Confirmed
Born and raised in Destin, FL (Okaloosa County); currently serves as a statewide-elected-equivalent official from Florida. `[Current specific county of residence NOT FOUND via available search — 2026-08-14]`.
- Wikipedia; Ballotpedia — biographical entries — 2026-08-14
- 🔴 PRIORITY (added 2026-08-21): Uthmeier chaired Keep Florida Clean, the political committee at the center of the "Hope Florida" scandal — a sealed grand jury investigation into $8.5M+ of Medicaid settlement funds redirected through a state-connected charity into political spending, intersecting with his contemporaneous role as DeSantis' Chief of Staff. Full detail in Campaign Finance Violations above and Category 2 § Financial Conflicts of Interest. This was missed on the original 2026-08-14 pass; caught via Category 2 Sunbiz/board-membership research (2026-08-21), consistent with this project's standing practice of the exhaustive-search methodology surfacing findings the initial news-search pass missed.
- 🔴 PRIORITY: Civil contempt finding by a federal judge (June 2025) — recommend direct operator review, since this is an official-capacity rule-of-law finding rather than a private civil dispute, and its categorization/weight should reflect the seriousness of a sitting AG being held in contempt.
- Category 1 revisit completed 2026-09-09: cross-referenced AGO 2026-02 (the verified "84 laws" advisory opinion, see FOLLOW-UP ADDENDUM Item 2) into Civil Court History as related rule-of-law context, distinct in kind from the SB 4-C contempt finding; no score change, since it is a discretionary legal opinion rather than an adjudicated violation. This closes out the standing "revisit Cat1" recommendation carried in the project tracker since 2026-08-28.
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: GrayRobinson revolving-door law firm arrangement (Sept 2023–Jan 2024) — documented context, not an adjudicated violation.
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: Miami Herald investigation into campaign contributions/official actions referenced but not directly reviewed.
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: Current specific county of residence not confirmed.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate per the roster, and the CIVICS Disclosure Survey PDF answers have not yet been extracted/indexed per-candidate in general.
Professional & Business Transparency 17 / 25
Business Ownership
A Florida Sunbiz Officer/Registered Agent search under "Uthmeier, James" (full result set reviewed — the surname list contains only four first-name variants: Carrie A, James, Jean M, and John W, confirming this is the complete set, not a partial page) found no personal for-profit business entity for James Uthmeier himself. His two Sunbiz listings are both non-business, non-equity roles: (1) Director of KEEP FLORIDA CLEAN, INC., a not-for-profit corporation (see Financial Conflicts of Interest and Board Memberships below), and (2) Director of the STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION FINANCE CORPORATION, a Florida not-for-profit corporation whose board consists of the Governor, Attorney General, and CFO in their official capacities (Gov. DeSantis, CFO Blaise Ingoglia, and Uthmeier are all listed as directors) — this is an ex officio state-government role attached to the AG office, not a personal business interest.
- Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), search.sunbiz.org, Officer/Registered Agent Name search "Uthmeier, James" — 2026-08-21 — full returned result set reviewed (4 first-name variants total under the surname)
- Sunbiz entity detail — STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION FINANCE CORPORATION (N96000003608) — 2026-08-21 — confirms official-capacity board (DeSantis, Uthmeier, Ingoglia listed at Capitol addresses)
Financial Conflicts of Interest
🔴 PRIORITY. Uthmeier chaired Keep Florida Clean, Inc./PAC (Sunbiz Doc# N24000006478, filed 5/30/2024, voluntarily dissolved 2/20/2025; also registered with the Florida Division of Elections as a political committee, status "Closed," chaired by Uthmeier with Abby Dupree as Treasurer), formed to oppose 2024's Constitutional Amendment 3 (recreational marijuana legalization). This committee is the central vehicle in the "Hope Florida" scandal, now the subject of a sealed grand jury investigation: - Centene Corp. (Florida's largest Medicaid contractor) agreed in 2024 to pay Florida a $67 million settlement over Medicaid drug-billing allegations. The settlement, negotiated by the Agency for Health Care Administration, included a provision directing $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation (a charity tied to Gov. DeSantis's wife Casey DeSantis's welfare initiative). - In October 2024, the Hope Florida Foundation sent $5 million each to two intermediary nonprofits, which within days wired a combined $8.5 million to Uthmeier's Keep Florida Clean committee/nonprofit. - Keep Florida Clean's own nonprofit financial filings show $26.1 million in total 2024 revenue, including a reported $4.9–7.3 million from an entity called "Secure Florida's Future Inc." — consistent with, though not identical in amount to, the $8.5 million Hope-Florida-linked figure reported by news outlets (the discrepancy was not independently resolved via available sources). - Keep Florida Clean used these funds for advertising against Amendment 3 and to fund other DeSantis-aligned political committees, including the Republican Party of Florida. - At the time these transactions occurred (2024), Uthmeier was DeSantis' sitting Chief of Staff, and per PolitiFact's review, his office had approved the settlement agreement's language before it was signed — meaning his official government office and the political committee he personally chaired intersected directly in the same transaction chain. - What is confirmed vs. unclear: It is confirmed that Uthmeier chaired the recipient committee and that his then-office approved the underlying settlement language. It is not established in available reporting exactly what Uthmeier personally knew about or authorized regarding the fund transfers specifically (as opposed to the settlement language generally) — PolitiFact's review found this "unclear from available documentation." - Investigation status: A sealed Leon County grand jury investigation examined how the $10 million reached the committees; as of the most recent reporting (August 2026) the report remained sealed, and Democratic lawmakers have called for its release. No source reviewed shows a subpoena, indictment, or formal legal referral naming Uthmeier personally. Uthmeier's campaign has stated he "had no role in any grand jury proceedings and would certainly have no issue with the public release of any report."
- Florida Division of Elections — Keep Florida Clean, Inc. committee detail (account #88582) — 2026-08-21 — confirms Uthmeier as Chairperson, Abby Dupree as Treasurer, status "Closed"
- Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) — KEEP FLORIDA CLEAN, INC. (N24000006478) — 2026-08-21
- Impala Digital / nonprofit financial data aggregator — Keep Florida Clean Inc, EIN 99-3361544 — 2026-08-21 — 2024 revenue/expense figures
- PolitiFact — "Fact-checking Ashley Moody's role in Hope Florida scandal" (8/13/2026) — 2026-08-21 — most detailed available account of Uthmeier's specific role, confirmed vs. unclear facts, and grand jury status
- WLRN — "Alexander Vindman overstates what is known about Ashley Moody's role in Hope Florida scandal" (8/13/2026) — 2026-08-21
Bankruptcy History
`[NOT FOUND]`. No personal bankruptcy filings located. One CourtListener hit for "James Uthmeier" + bankruptcy was reviewed and found to be an unrelated Florida Supreme Court criminal case (Michael L. King v. State of Florida, SC2026-0336) in which Uthmeier's name appears only in his official capacity as Attorney General/state party, not as a personal bankruptcy matter.
- CourtListener (courtlistener.com) — search "James Uthmeier" bankruptcy — 2026-08-21 — 1 result, reviewed and confirmed unrelated to personal finances
Tax Liens
`[NOT FOUND]`. No personal or business tax lien records located. One CourtListener hit for "James Uthmeier" + tax lien was reviewed and found to be an unrelated 2020 Florida Supreme Court advisory opinion in which Uthmeier appears only in an official/counsel capacity. Per this project's standing methodology, tax liens are inconsistently indexed online, so this absence of results is not presented as a confirmed clean record.
- CourtListener (courtlistener.com) — search "James Uthmeier" tax lien — 2026-08-21 — 1 result, reviewed and confirmed unrelated
Board Memberships
Two board/director roles identified for Uthmeier himself (see Business Ownership and Financial Conflicts of Interest above for full detail): Director of Keep Florida Clean, Inc. — the nonprofit/political committee at the center of the Hope Florida grand jury investigation (see above) — and an ex officio Director seat on the State Board of Administration Finance Corporation attached to his AG office, not a personal appointment. Per this project's standing spouse-check methodology, a Sunbiz search under his wife Jean M. Uthmeier's name found her as sole Managing Member of LA FLORIDA COFFEE AND WINE LLC (a coffee/wine retail shop near the State Capitol, 350 S Duval St, Tallahassee, active and current on annual reports) and LA FLORIDA, LLC; no government-contract connection or adverse finding was identified for either entity, and this is an ordinary small retail business, not flagged as a conflict.
- Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Officer/Registered Agent Name search "Uthmeier, Jean M" — 2026-08-21
- Sunbiz entity detail — LA FLORIDA COFFEE AND WINE LLC (L20000374308) — 2026-08-21
- Nationwide news search confirming Jean Uthmeier as James Uthmeier's wife and owner of a Tallahassee coffee/wine shop — 2026-08-21
- 🔴 PRIORITY: The Hope Florida/Keep Florida Clean finding (Financial Conflicts of Interest, above) was not present in this candidate's existing Category 1 research (approved 2026-08-14). Recommend the operator revisit Category 1 (Ethics Violations and/or Campaign Finance Violations sections) in light of this finding — it is arguably as significant as, or more significant than, the SB 4-C civil contempt finding already scored there.
- This is a fast-moving, actively contested story (sealed grand jury report, disputed characterizations between Uthmeier's campaign and critics like Alex Vindman per the PolitiFact fact-check) — recommend a follow-up check closer to publication in case the grand jury report is unsealed or new reporting clarifies Uthmeier's personal role.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate per the roster.
Policy & Platform Consistency 19 / 20
Voting Record
As an appointed/elected executive-branch official (not a legislator), Uthmeier has no floor votes; his "voting record" equivalent is his litigation/enforcement record as AG since 2/17/2025. Documented major actions: lawsuits against Planned Parenthood over abortion-drug marketing claims; joining a federal challenge to FDA approval of mifepristone; litigation against medical organizations over gender-affirming care guidelines for minors; a $79 million settlement with JUUL Labs; suits against Democratic-run states over immigration policy; litigation against Roku and Roblox; a threatened lawsuit against the New York Times demanding six years of internal records; emergency scheduling of a concentrated kratom derivative as a controlled substance; and a stated policy push (10/31) to limit the insanity defense in violent criminal cases to the sentencing phase. His office has continued a multistate-coalition litigation pattern (joining other GOP state AGs) that began under predecessor Ashley Moody.
- FL Voice News — "Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier releases year-end summary on achievements, plans for 2026" — 2026-08-21
- Yahoo News — "Looking toward 2026, AG Uthmeier pushes tough on crime approach in Florida" — 2026-08-21
- Hoodline — "Florida AG Uthmeier Demands NYT Records, Threatens Lawsuit" — 2026-08-21
Position Consistency
Uthmeier's positions as AG (aggressive immigration enforcement, social-conservative litigation on abortion/gender-affirming care, "tough on crime" messaging) are consistent with his prior role as Gov. DeSantis's Chief of Staff and with his documented political alignment. `[No specific documented reversal of a stated AG-era position was identified — searched: nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21]`.
- Yahoo News — "Florida AG James Uthmeier embraces ultimate culture warrior role" — 2026-08-21
Flip-Flops
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" flip-flop reversed changed position criticized — 2026-08-21]`. No documented instance of Uthmeier reversing a stated policy position was identified. Separately and outside this metric's scope (a compensation/transparency matter, not a policy reversal): news coverage reports Uthmeier holds a second job as a University of Florida adjunct law professor with a reported $100,000 salary while serving as sitting Attorney General — this is noted here for operator awareness and flagged as a potential Category 2 (Financial Conflicts of Interest / outside compensation) addendum, since it was not part of this project's existing Category 2 research for this candidate.
- AOL/news wire — "Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier working second job as UF adjunct professor — with $100K salary" — 2026-08-21
Endorsements
Received: President Trump ("Strong Conservative Fighter and Prosecutor," "Complete and Total Endorsement"), whose endorsement effectively foreclosed a primary challenge from FL House Speaker Daniel Perez; Evan Power, Chair of the Republican Party of Florida; 51 Florida county sheriffs. `[Endorsements given — NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" endorsed candidate 2026 — 2026-08-21]`.
- Tampa Bay Times — "Trump endorses Uthmeier for Florida attorney general" — 2026-08-21
- Florida Politics — "Donald Trump endorses 'America First Warrior' James Uthmeier" — 2026-08-21
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: Uthmeier reportedly holds a second job as a University of Florida adjunct law professor with a $100,000 salary while serving as sitting Attorney General — not previously documented in this project's Category 2 research. Recommend a Category 2 addendum to formally assess this under Financial Conflicts of Interest/Board Memberships.
- This category does not re-litigate the Hope Florida/Keep Florida Clean PRIORITY findings already documented in Category 1 and Category 2.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Community Engagement & Character 14 / 25
Community Involvement
Uthmeier co-teaches religious education alongside his wife, Jean, at St. Thomas More Co-Cathedral in Tallahassee — a sustained, documented, in-person volunteer commitment. `[No additional civic/nonprofit board involvement beyond his official government roles was found — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" volunteer nonprofit board — 2026-08-24]`.
- Lexinter Law Directory — "James Uthmeier" profile — 2026-08-24
Veteran / First Responder Service
`[NOT FOUND — no military or first-responder service background documented — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" military veteran — 2026-08-24]`. No claim of personal service was found in his official or campaign materials.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-24 — no matches
Faith-Based Involvement (scored on character consistency)
A documented, sustained, in-person faith commitment: co-teaching religious education at St. Thomas More Co-Cathedral with his wife. This is a specific, verifiable role (not merely stated church attendance). `[Whether his conduct in office is fully consistent with these stated faith values is a matter on which reasonable observers may weigh the existing Category 1 Hope Florida PRIORITY finding differently — that finding is not re-litigated here, but is relevant context the operator may wish to weigh alongside this metric.]`
- Lexinter Law Directory — as above — 2026-08-24
Debates / Town Halls
`[No documented debate/town hall invitations or appearances for the 2026 general election against Rodríguez were found this pass — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" attorney general debate 2026 — 2026-08-24]`. Both candidates advanced directly to the general election without a primary.
- WLRN — "The Florida Cabinet races are set for November" — 2026-08-24
Social Media Presence & Consistency
Active official/campaign presence consistent with his role as a sitting statewide Cabinet officer. `[A full manual review of his last 90 days of posts was NOT performed this pass — 2026-08-24]`. No inflammatory personal-tone content was surfaced in general search.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-24 — no adverse content found
- ⚠️ CROSS-REFERENCE: The Faith-Based Involvement character-consistency assessment is scored in light of the existing Category 1 Hope Florida PRIORITY finding, not re-litigated here; see that section for full detail.
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: No debate coverage or full social-media audit completed this pass; recommend follow-up closer to November.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Campaign Transparency 11 / 25
Top Donors / Donor Composition
``` DONOR COMPOSITION (as of 6/26/26): Total raised: $10 million+ Personal campaign account: $1.32M (Q1: $288,843) Political committee ("Friends of James Uthmeier"): $8.85M+ (Q1: $1.62M) Notable Q1 donors: A Stronger Florida (PC linked to lobbying firm Rubin, Turnbull & Associates) — $125,000; RAI Services Company (tobacco) — $100,000; Republican Party of Florida — $100,000; Sig Sauer Inc. (gun manufacturer) — $50,000 ``` 🔴 PRIORITY. A Tampa Bay Times investigation documented at least three separate instances in which entities or individuals involved in active civil litigation donated $25,000 each to Uthmeier's fundraising committee, followed within days or weeks by his Attorney General's office intervening in their disputes — including filing amicus briefs in two cases. Documented examples: Two Roads Development and Whitman Family Development received AG-office intervention weeks after executive donations; approximately three weeks before the AG's office filed a brief supporting Tesla in a $243 million verdict dispute, his committee accepted a $25,000 donation from a political committee controlled by a lobbying firm representing Tesla in Tallahassee. The AG's office disputed any connection between the donations and its official actions, and no proof of a causal link was established — this is documented as a factual, sourced pattern from a mainstream investigative outlet, not an adjudicated finding of wrongdoing.
- Tampa Bay Times — "They gave Uthmeier's campaign $25,000. Then his office stepped in to help." — 2026-08-26
- The Real Deal — "Florida AG intervened in developer disputes after raking in donations" — 2026-08-26
- Florida Politics — "Uthmeier grows his fundraising lead in Florida attorney general race" — 2026-08-26
PAC / LLC / Funneling Structures
The overwhelming majority of Uthmeier's fundraising (~$8.85M of ~$10.2M, or roughly 87%) flows through his political committee, "Friends of James Uthmeier" — a name mirroring the candidate himself, per this rubric's Level 2 flag criteria. This is the same vehicle implicated in the donation-timing pattern documented above. `[⚠️ PAC FLAG — Level 2/3 — Friends of James Uthmeier — ~$8.85M, ~87% of total raised — PAC name mirrors candidate; vehicle for the donation-timing pattern documented above — Tampa Bay Times — Operator review required]`
- Cross-referenced from above — 2026-08-26
Advertising Spend
`[Specific advertising-spend line items were NOT independently itemized this session — searched: Florida Division of Elections expenditure reports — 2026-08-26]`. With $10M+ raised as the frontrunning incumbent in a statewide Cabinet race, his spending capacity is substantial relative to the race.
- Florida Politics — as above — 2026-08-26
Grassroots Engagement
`[No documented door-knocking, phone-banking, or in-person voter-contact ground game was located this session — searched: nationwide Google/news search "James Uthmeier" campaign canvassing volunteer 2026 — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Donations to Political Figures
`[NOT FOUND — no record of Uthmeier personally donating to other political campaigns or figures was identified this session — searched: Florida Division of Elections, nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
- 🔴 PRIORITY: A Tampa Bay Times investigation documented a multi-instance pattern of $25,000 donations to Uthmeier's committee followed by his AG's office intervening in the donors' own civil litigation, including amicus briefs. No causal link was proven and the office denies any connection, but this is a serious, mainstream-sourced transparency concern that compounds the existing Category 1 PRIORITY Hope Florida finding. Recommend the operator personally review both sections together before scorecard publication.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Issue-Based Positions 30 / 40
2A Rights Score
[UPDATED 2026-08-27] The Florida Phoenix "misfires" article has been read in full. Gun Owners of America and its Hispanic offshoot Fuerza 2A formally endorsed Uthmeier, with GOA's Luis Valdes stating: "From open carry to self-defense to stopping unlawful attacks on gun ownership, James Uthmeier has built a record that Second Amendment supporters can trust." The "misfire" is not a pro-restriction position — it is the opposite: Uthmeier joined FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass in asking a federal court to declare Florida's voter-approved (1990 constitutional amendment) three-day waiting period for gun purchases unconstitutional. This is a maximalist pro-2A litigation position. The controversy it drew is a separate, rule-of-law concern (see Cat1 cross-reference below), not a 2A-substance concern.
- Florida Phoenix — "Uthmeier's positions on gun rights praised by some, but misfires with others" — 2026-06-18 (accessed 2026-08-27); Florida Phoenix — "Uthmeier now says it's unconstitutional to ban nondangerous felons from possessing firearms" — 2026-03-16
Pro-Life / Pro-Family Score
`[No SBA Pro-Life America rating or explicit personal abortion-policy statement located this session — searched: SBA Pro-Life America, campaign website — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Fiscal Conservatism Score
Club for Growth PAC formally endorsed Uthmeier's bid to keep the Attorney General office.
- Florida Politics — "'A proven leader': Club for Growth PAC endorses James Uthmeier for Attorney General" — 2026-08-26
Parental Rights Score
As Attorney General, created the Office of Parental Rights — a dedicated team of litigators "focused on fighting the fights that parents bring to us," actively enforcing state laws on gender transition, library materials, and school surveys.
- Yahoo News/AP — "Attorney General's office opens parental-rights arm to litigate on behalf of parents" — 2026-08-26
Election Integrity Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Housing / Insurance Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Education / School Choice Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND distinct from the Parental Rights office activity above — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Environment / Everglades Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG RESOLVED (2026-08-27): the Florida Phoenix "misfires" article was read in full — Uthmeier's 2A record is maximalist pro-gun-rights (GOA/Fuerza 2A endorsed, litigating to strike a firearm waiting period), not a restriction. Score revised from 3/5 to 5/5, raising the Category 6 subtotal from 28/40 to 30/40. The "misfire" criticism is about his approach to declining to defend/enforce laws he deems unconstitutional — a rule-of-law question, not a 2A-substance one. See the FOLLOW-UP ADDENDUM below for the related new finding.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Follow-Up Research Notes
Item 1: $100K UF adjunct salary (Cat2 addendum, outstanding since 2026-08-21)
Confirmed and substantial. Uthmeier earns $100,000/year teaching two classes per week as an adjunct professor at UF's Levin College of Law — making him "the highest-paid adjunct professor at UF's Levin College of Law in at least a quarter century." For comparison, the average UF adjunct salary is approximately $5,000/year; the next-highest-paid adjunct (Jonathan Grossman) earned $80,000. Combined with his $140,000 Attorney General salary, Uthmeier draws $240,000/year in taxpayer funds from two public positions simultaneously. Multiple outlets (Tampa Bay Times, The Independent Florida Alligator) report the UF law dean defended the pay arrangement in a closed-door faculty meeting, and student/faculty sourcing describes UF law faculty being asked to "bend the rules" to accommodate the arrangement. Uthmeier has publicly defended the salary as necessary to support his "growing family," stating he is "not just some guest lecturer."
Item 2: Rule-of-law pattern re: laws he won't defend/enforce — VERIFIED via primary source (2026-08-28)
Verification complete. The "84 laws" figure traces to a specific, identifiable primary document: Attorney General Opinion AGO 2026-02, issued January 19, 2026 (a date that itself drew criticism, as it fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day). The 14-page opinion addresses three defined categories of Florida statutes — "Race Based Classifications," "Race Based Preferences in Government Contracting," and "Race Based Quotas" (e.g., statutory minority-representation requirements for various boards/councils/panels) — and concludes these provisions are presumptively unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment and Article I, § 2 of the Florida Constitution, stating: "My office, therefore, will not defend or enforce any of these discriminatory provisions." This is not an idiosyncratic, ad hoc personal veto list — it is a single formal Advisory Opinion applying a specific, stated constitutional theory (that race-based classifications/preferences/quotas are unconstitutional) to a defined category of statutes. AG advisory opinions do not carry the force of law unless ratified by a court, but are commonly used to guide state agency policy. The opinion drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers and Black legislators specifically over its Martin Luther King Jr. Day timing and its characterization of diversity/minority-representation programs as themselves discriminatory.