WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — With Election Day approaching, Florida’s race for attorney general is drawing attention over rising household costs, public safety, and a controversy involving millions of dollars connected to the state’s Hope Florida initiative. New polling shows Republican incumbent Attorney General James Uthmeier leading Democratic challenger José Javier Rodríguez, although surveys differ on the size of that lead.
In a one-on-one interview with CBS12 News reporter Jim Grimes, Rodríguez outlined his plans for the office, criticized Uthmeier’s approach to several issues, and promised to take a more aggressive stance against rising insurance and electricity costs. The former Florida state senator and attorney says his campaign focuses on three priorities: crime, costs, and corruption. “Focus on public safety, not political stunts out of Tallahassee,” Rodríguez said.
Rodríguez says Floridians are paying too much
For Rodríguez, one of the biggest issues in the campaign is the rising cost of living in Florida. “Floridians are absolutely being ripped off. And one of the things in Tallahassee is they don’t even hide it,” Rodríguez told CBS12 News. He argues that Florida’s attorney general should take a more active role in challenging insurance companies and electric utilities over rate increases. “Our electric bills, and our insurance bills do not go up except through Tallahassee,” Rodríguez said.
He also criticized Uthmeier’s relationships with the industries, arguing that the incumbent has failed to challenge rate increases aggressively enough. “My opponent is endorsed by both because he does nothing when rates go up. He sits on the sidelines,” Rodríguez said. Rodríguez promised to pursue legal action against companies he believes are unfairly increasing costs for consumers. “I will sue those insurance companies and utility companies and others who are unfairly raising our rates and putting charges on us,” he said.
Campaign finance records reviewed for the original CBS12 News report show that a political committee supporting Uthmeier received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from utility and insurance-related companies. Those contributions do not establish that the companies influenced Uthmeier’s decisions. Rodríguez maintains that the attorney general should play a greater role in protecting consumers from rising costs. “We need someone fighting to reduce rates and fight rate increases,” he said. “We haven’t had that in so long that a lot of Floridians don’t even expect that from our attorney general anymore.”
Hope Florida controversy becomes a campaign issue
Another major issue in the race involves the controversy surrounding Hope Florida, a state initiative that has faced scrutiny over the handling of $10 million connected to a Medicaid settlement. A statewide grand jury examined the movement of the money, including funds transferred to political committees. The grand jury report criticized aspects of the transactions but found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.
An appeals court subsequently ordered the report expunged after finding problems with its criticism of people who were not indicted and its premature disclosure. Uthmeier has maintained that the transactions were legal and characterized the controversy as politically motivated. Rodríguez has made the issue a central part of his criticism of the incumbent. “The Hope Florida scandal again, where they took $10 million out of the Medicaid program, and my opponent was at the center of it,” Rodríguez told CBS12 News.
That is Rodríguez’s allegation, not an established finding of criminal wrongdoing by Uthmeier. Rodríguez said that if elected, he would make recovering the money a priority. “The absolute baseline is go get the $10 million back,” he said.
Political advertising dispute adds to controversy
The Hope Florida issue has also become the subject of a separate legal dispute involving campaign advertising. The Republican Party of Florida filed a lawsuit against Democrats and broadcasters over political advertisements referencing the grand jury report. The party sought to stop the advertisements, arguing over the use of material from the disputed report. A judge declined to immediately block the ads, and the Republican Party voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice on October 21.
The dispute illustrates how the Hope Florida controversy has moved beyond questions about the handling of state-connected funds and into the political advertising battle between the parties. The dismissal did not resolve every underlying dispute over the advertisements or the grand jury report.
Fundraising shows a financial advantage for Uthmeier
The candidates have also entered the final stretch of the campaign with significantly different financial resources. According to an October 8 report by Florida Politics, Uthmeier had approximately $9.9 million available through his campaign and political committee as of August 14. Rodríguez had approximately $978,000 available at that point.
Rodríguez subsequently surpassed $2 million in total fundraising, although that figure is not directly comparable to the earlier cash-on-hand totals. The financial differences provide context for the candidates’ ability to pay for advertising and other campaign activities. Updated campaign finance filings would be needed to establish their current financial positions.
Candidates differ on protecting children online
Another area of disagreement involves efforts to protect children from potential dangers on social media and online gaming platforms. Uthmeier has made online child safety a significant part of his agenda, taking legal action involving companies including Snapchat, TikTok and Roblox. Rodríguez said he supports protecting children online but questioned whether Uthmeier has developed a coordinated approach.
“The problem with my opponent is that he’s using this as a gimmick. He does not have a comprehensive strategy,” Rodríguez said. “He goes from press conference to press conference, and he is not coordinating with anybody else doing this work.” Those criticisms reflect Rodríguez’s assessment of Uthmeier’s approach. They do not negate the legal actions the attorney general’s office has pursued against online platforms.
Immigration enforcement also divides the candidates
Immigration enforcement has emerged as another point of disagreement in the race. Uthmeier has been a prominent supporter of Florida’s immigration enforcement efforts, including the detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz. The facility has generated legal and political controversy over immigration detention practices and the state’s role in federal immigration enforcement. The issue reflects broader differences between the candidates over how the attorney general should use the office’s legal authority and resources.
Rodríguez criticizes Uthmeier’s public approach
Rodríguez also questioned Uthmeier’s use of news conferences to communicate his priorities and legal actions. According to figures provided for the original CBS12 News report, Uthmeier held more than 175 news conferences during an 18-month period. Rodríguez argues that the office should place greater emphasis on coordinating public safety efforts and pursuing consumer protection cases. “When it comes to public safety, you should expect more than just cheap press conferences—an actual strategy that brings everybody in to keep us safer,” Rodríguez said.
He also promised to focus on costs and government accountability. “On costs and corruption, aggressively advocating for us, not gimmicks, but actually fighting for us. As I have my whole career in the courts and in the legislature,” Rodríguez said.
CBS12 News seeks interview with Uthmeier
CBS12 News also invited Republican incumbent Attorney General James Uthmeier to participate in a one-on-one interview about his campaign and priorities for the office. Despite repeated requests to his team, CBS12 News had not received a response at the time of the original report. Uthmeier’s office has defended its actions in the Hope Florida matter, and his administration has highlighted legal action involving online child safety and immigration enforcement. The two candidates are offering different priorities for the attorney general’s office as Florida voters prepare for the November 3 election.