New Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has taken the first step toward running for a full term in 2026, while his predecessor, Ashley Moody, is gearing up to defend her U.S. Senate seat.
Uthmeier, who was sworn in last week as attorney general after serving as chief of staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis, opened a campaign account Monday for the 2026 race, according to the state Division of Elections website.
DeSantis appointed Uthmeier after tapping Moody to succeed Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. Rubio became U.S. secretary of state in January. Moody filed paperwork Monday at the Federal Election Commission for a 2026 Senate campaign, according to the federal agency’s website.
Uthmeier, a 37-year-old Republican, had not previously held elected office, but he was a longtime top aide to DeSantis, including managing DeSantis’ unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign. He is the only candidate who has opened a campaign account to run for attorney general in 2026. After being appointed to finish Moody’s term, he would be eligible to serve two full four-year terms.
During a Feb. 17 swearing-in ceremony at the Old Capitol, Uthmeier hit on themes popular with Republican voters. He said would 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.”
Among his actions during the first week were filing a class-action lawsuit that alleged Target Corp. did not properly disclose to investors the risks of a 2023 LGBTQ Pride campaign that drew a consumer backlash and caused a drop in the retailer’s stock price.
Moody, who was first elected attorney general in 2018, also was a key DeSantis ally on issues such as fighting against the Biden administration on immigration enforcement. Rubio was re-elected to a six-year term in 2022, but his departure from the Senate requires the seat to go on the 2026 ballot.
DeSantis also must make an appointment to the Cabinet post of state chief financial officer, as incumbent Jimmy Patronis has submitted his resignation to run in a special election for a Northwest Florida congressional seat.
State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, has opened a campaign account to run for chief financial officer in 2026 and has backing from President Donald Trump. But it remains unclear who DeSantis will appoint to fill out the remainder of Patronis’ term — an appointee who ostensibly could go into the 2026 campaign as the incumbent.
DeSantis said Monday he will wait until after the upcoming legislative session to appoint a chief financial officer and a lieutenant governor, after former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez last week became interim president of Florida International University. The 60-day session starts March 4.
