‘Disrupt the status quo’: James Uthmeier sworn in as Attorney General

One of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most proven allies is now the state’s chief legal officer.

Justice Meredith Sasso swore in James Uthmeier as Attorney General in Tallahassee Monday. The state’s new “top cop” was sworn in on a Bible and offered onlookers at the Old Capitol Building in Tallahassee insight into how scripture informs his view of the law.

“As I put my hand on that Bible, I was reminded of a verse from Proverbs, a verse that I turn to daily. To do what is right and just for the Lord is greater than any sacrifice. To do what is right and just. As with all spiritual truths, these words hit a political mark. To do what is right and just. It’s easy to say the right things, but not everybody goes out and does them. This is one of the many lessons that I have learned from our great Governor,” Uthmeier said.

The new AG noted that “sometimes doing what’s right can cost you political fortune, political gain. It can disrupt the status quo. It can bring discomfort.” Yet he promised to “endeavor every day to do what is right and to levy justice where it is due.”

“No empty rhetoric, no posturing, no excuses,” he added.

Ahead of the swearing in, DeSantis quipped that his new role replacing now-U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody would be a “little bit less hectic” than his previous job, but that Uthmeier has played a pivotal role thus far in the Governor’s administration and will do so also going forward.

He said the new AG is “going to be very important as we’re here in this new era of American governance … somebody that you know that no matter which way the wind blows, no matter whether it’s easy, whether it’s difficult, that they’re going to be standing for the right things and doing the right things on behalf of the people of Florida.”

“That’s not how most people necessarily operate,” DeSantis added. “There’s a lot of times taking the path of least resistance. It’s just the easier thing to do. But from time to time, all throughout our administration, James was always digging in and fighting for what was right, even when it wasn’t easy.”

Uthmeier was the Governor’s Chief of Staff since September 2021. He had been General Counsel since October 2020 and first began working in DeSantis’ legal office as Deputy General Counsel in March 2019.

DeSantis noted that when Uthmeier was General Counsel, the Governor’s Office was “leading the vanguard to drag this country out of COVID authoritarianism.”

However, Uthmeier did take a break from the official position to help DeSantis’ campaign for President in 2023, serving as Campaign Manager of the presidential effort. Uthmeier was also pivotal in the Governor’s efforts to stop amendments that would have removed state abortion restrictions and legalized recreational pot in 2024.

The Governor credited Uthmeier with moving to “step up and fight against these amendments … that would have been detrimental to the state of Florida.”

Uthmeier, a Destin native, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida before getting his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.

“Gov. DeSantis has made an outstanding and wise decision in selecting James Uthmeier to be Florida’s next Attorney General, and we congratulate him on his new position,” said Skylar Zander, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Florida. “Floridians deserve a strong force to continue protecting their legal rights, and we know James will provide this. He is a true champion of the values of freedom, accountability, and opportunity that all Floridians know to be paramount to success, as exemplified during his service as the Governor’s Chief of Staff. Americans for Prosperity-Florida looks forward to working alongside Attorney General Uthmeier in his fight to protect Floridians and uphold freedom statewide.”

Before joining the DeSantis administration, Uthmeier served as a senior adviser and counsel to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and an associate at the law firm Jones Day.

The Attorney General position is open in 2026, and Uthmeier clearly is going to run for a full term next year. The “Friends of James Uthmeier” political committee has already been set up. Rich Heitmeyer is the current Treasurer. Jeff Aaron serves as registered agent.

DeSantis noted that his appointee “could serve potentially 10 years as Attorney General,” as he is eligible to run for election twice.

Uthmeier focused on the task at hand rather than the political future in his remarks, however.

He promised to “protect the sacred fire of liberty and all the rights and responsibilities therein” and to “fight every day with dignity … deliver results … (and) fight to keep our home safe, strong and free.”

The new era begins with a Cabinet meeting in Niceville Monday afternoon, which is expected to address illegal immigration in the wake of a Special Session devoted to ramping up enforcement.

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Florida Politics staff contributed to this report.