Trump endorsement in Florida attorney general race changes GOP primary outlook

President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed Attorney General James Uthmeier’s campaign to keep his seat in 2026, effectively ending chatter among the political class about the race being a proxy war between the president and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The president’s team had been wooing House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Miami Republican, for the seat. But in the end, Perez decided he wasn’t interested, a person familiar with his thinking told the Herald/Times.

Had Perez entered the attorney general’s race, it would have made for an epic showdown.

Uthmeier ran DeSantis’ presidential campaign against Trump last year. The governor lost badly in the Republican primary. While Trump and DeSantis—both lame ducks in office— have since made up, they have continued to jockey for control over Republican politics in the Sunshine State. DeSantis, for instance, is considering endorsing an opponent to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the candidate endorsed by Trump in the next gubernatorial primary.

But that’s not the only reason the race between Perez and Uthmeier would have been epic.

There’s also the issue of the Hope Florida Foundation.

Under Perez’s leadership, the Florida House investigated the funnelling of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement through the state-created charity. It is now part of a criminal probe by state prosecutors. The money appears to have gone to a political committee Uthmeier controlled to help Gov. Ron DeSantis defeat a recreational marijuana amendment on last year’s ballot.

At the time, Uthmeier was DeSantis’ chief of staff. Earlier this year, DeSantis appointed him attorney general when the seat was left vacant.

Given the heavy weight Trump’s endorsement carries, however, the Republican primary is now considerably less competitive. The only other Republican declared in the race is Steven Leskovich from Punta Gorda, according to a campaign document. After publication, he told the Herald/Times he would continue to campaign.

In his endorsement, Trump credited Uthmeier with being “THE MAN behind ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ,” defending the president’s executive authority in firing “Deep State bureaucrats,” and leading on the arrests of over “1,000 CRIMINAL PEDOPHILES.”

“Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is doing a GREAT job for the Sunshine State, which I won BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday morning. “In his next term, James will continue to work tirelessly to Ensure Law and Order, Uphold our Constitutional Rights, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Trump added: “James Uthmeier is a Strong Conservative Fighter and Prosecutor, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”

Less than an hour later, Uthmeier responded to the president on social media.

“Thank you, Mr. President,” Uthmeier posted on X. “I will keep fighting on behalf of Floridians and the American People, and I won’t let you down.”

Leskovich, the other Republican candidate, told the Herald/Times over text message he “will not be with withdrawing from the Attorney General campaign anytime soon.”

“With the grand jury being convened in Leon County to determine the criminality in the Hope Florida scandal, there are too many unknowns at this time,” Leskovich said. “With 25 years for real courtroom litigation experience, I have never and will never make an irrational decision without thought or consideration.”

A relative political newcomer, Leskovich is the Interim City Attorney for Punta Gorda, and serves as a commissioner on the Charlotte County Airport Authority Board. He has raised $119,753 so far, according to state campaign finance records. That figure includes a $50,000 loan he gave himself.

Uthmeier has raised $669,526.

Whoever wins the Republican primary will likely go on to face Democratic candidate José Javier Rodríguez in the general election. Rodríguez is a former state senator who lost his reelection in 2020 by just 34 votes, blaming his defeat on the ghost candidate scandal that led to the conviction of a different former state senator, Frank Artiles. He went on to work in former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Rodríguez’s bid for attorney general is somewhat of a long shot. Once considered a swing state, Florida is now solidly red. Republicans have a voter registration advantage of more than 1.3 million.

Still, he brushed aside Trump’s endorsement when contacted by the Herald/Times on Wednesday.

“The Attorney General’s job is to serve the people, not political bosses or special interests,” Rodríguez said in a statement to the Herald/Times. “While others chase headlines, I’ll focus on lowering costs, enforcing the law, and protecting Floridians.”

He added: “As AG, I’ll be the People’s Lawyer and right now, the People are still without a lawyer.”

This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM.