Matt Gaetz up 18 on James Uthmeier in GOP AG poll from Donald Trump pollster

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointed Attorney General could face a stiff challenge in 2026.

New polling from Tony Fabrizio, the pollster who was central to Donald Trump’s political comeback in 2024, finds former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz with nearly double the support incumbent James Uthmeier has in a still-hypothetical Republican Primary next year.

Gaetz has 39% backing in the survey. Uthmeier is at 21%, and the other 40% are up for grabs, in the result first reported by Axios’ Marc Caputo.

“Sometimes the AG itch doesn’t go away with one scratch,” Gaetz told Caputo, alluding to his withdrawal from the bid to be Trump’s AG amid a failure to coalesce support among the narrow Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.

Though no other polling exists of Gaetz in a trial heat to be the state’s top lawyer, another recent survey points to higher-than-desired negatives among Republican voters.

When the current talk show host’s name was tested recently as a potential gubernatorial candidate by the University of North Florida, 21% of Republican voters regarded him unfavorably while 36% were favorable to him.

Uthmeier has already filed to run for election in 2026.

Rich Heitmeyer will manage his campaign while serving as Treasurer for both the campaign account and the Friends of James Uthmeier political committee.

The incumbent does have the advantage of the bully pulpit and the ability to take decisive action, as he has against Target for “radical sexualization of kids” by marketing what the court filing calls “transgender tuck-friendly” swimsuits with “extra crotch coverage,” sold in small sizes. Florida’s pension fund was invested in the department store chain, and Uthmeier’s court filing alleges material harm.

With the blessing of DeSantis, Uthmeier has also launched a criminal probe against Andrew and Tristan Tate. The brothers faced legal scrutiny in Romania before coming to Fort Lauderdale last week with the apparent sanction of the White House.

“These guys have themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world,” he said Tuesday. “Many of these victims are coming forward, some of them minors. People can spin or defend however they want, but in Florida, this type of behavior is viewed as atrocious. We’re not going to accept it.”

Meanwhile, the Fabrizio poll of the AG race is just his latest survey shaking up a potential Primary battle. A survey he fielded last week found that Vice President JD Vance with a big lead over the Governor in a hypothetical 2028 Republican Presidential Primary in Florida, indicating DeSantis may have trouble parlaying his time leading the state into a chance to lead the country.