Professional background: James Uthmeier was named as Florida’s Attorney General by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2025 to fill the vacancy created when former AG Ashley Moody was appointed by the governor to the U.S. Senate. Prior to his appointment, AG Uthmeier served as Governor DeSantis’ chief of staff. He began his tenure in the governor’s office in 2019 as deputy general counsel and was promoted to general counsel the following year. After law school he worked in Washington D.C. where he interned as a law clerk in then-Senator Marco Rubio’s office. He also worked as an associate in private practice before joining the Trump administration in 2017, where he served as a senior adviser to then-Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

Key priorities as AG:

• Protect the innocent and support law enforcement efforts
• Fight back against gangs and drug and human traffickers
• Stand up for constitutional rights

Education:  AG Uthmeier received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, where he ran varsity track and cross-country for the Gators. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Personal: AG Uthmeier lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Jean, and their three children.