James Uthmeier sworn in as Florida's new attorney general, promises to 'champion an America First agenda'

James Uthmeier took office as the new attorney general of Florida. The 37-year-old attorney replaced Ashley Moody, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill Marco Rubio's Senate seat. Accompanied by his wife and children, Uthmeier promised to "champion an America First agenda" for years to come. He will hold office until at least 2026, when he will need to be revalidated at the ballot box.

Uthmeier, who served most recently as the governor's chief of staff and also as head of his presidential campaign, is one of the people closest to DeSantis. As for his background, he also served as a senior adviser to then-Donald Trump Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

"This was not a very difficult decision for me to put James as the next attorney general," the governor said of Uthmeier, whom he described as a "bulldog" who was "always dug in and fighting." "I know he has the grounding. I know he has the right worldview," he added.

Meredith Sasso, a Florida Supreme Court justice, administered the oath to Uthmeier at the state Capitol. Once sworn in, the new attorney general gave a brief, nearly four-minute speech.

"We will not stand idly by as the left tries to infiltrate our institutions and use the court system to indoctrinate our kids. We will fight the activists that try to weaken our duly enacted laws, that try to challenge our constitutional order and that try to harm the unborn," he said.

"Our state is exceptional because we lead – not with political rhetoric or empty promises, we do what is right," he added.

Uthmeier joined DeSantis' office in 2019 and has since earned the governor's trust to become his chief of staff.

Along with Lara Trump, José Oliva, and Jeanette Núñez, Uthmeier was among the candidates to replace Rubio in the Senate. After weeks of deliberation, Governor DeSantis settled on Ashley Moody, who recently took over as senator.