Former DeSantis Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, Sworn in as FL Attorney General

Governor Ron DeSantis' (R-FL) Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, has officially been sworn in as Florida's newest Attorney General. The Florida governor shared that Uthmeier was "a bulldog" within his administration.

With a bit of sarcasm, Gov. DeSantis shared the role of Chief of Staff under his leadership is so hectic and fast-paced that a transition to state Attorney General for Uthmeier could be a "reward" for his time in the DeSantis administration.

DeSantis, Moody Congratulate Uthmeier

Gov. DeSantis complimented former Florida Attorney General and now-Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) for her time in the position and stated that Uthmeier can take the role to new heights.

"When we had the [state Attorney General] decision, obviously, we put our former Attorney General as a U.S. Senator, and she did a great job for us here in Florida," said DeSantis. "She's doing a great job now representing there, but we had an opportunity to make a selection for a very important statewide office, and an office that can really make a difference in the lives of Floridians; an office that was obviously prominent when we were battling Washington during the Biden administration, but also is going to be very important as we're here in this new era of American governance."

Furthermore, Sen. Moody shared congratulatory remarks for now Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

"Congratulations to @JamesUthmeierFL on being sworn in as Florida’s 39th Attorney General!" began Sen. Moody. "He has been a steadfast supporter of our efforts to protect Floridians and uphold conservative principles. A BIG thank you to our Chief Deputy John Guard for his leadership in holding down the fort since my appointment to the U.S. Senate."

Uthmeier is Now Florida's Attorney General: How did we get here?

Well, after President Donald Trump (R) appointed former Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) for the Secretary of State position, it left Gov. DeSantis (R-FL) with a vacancy to fill. He chose the Florida Attorney General at the time, Ashley Moody, for Rubio's Senate seat and picked his Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, to be Florida's AG.

Moreover, President Trump initially chose former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to run the Department of Justice (DOJ), but he withdrew from the process, leading Trump to pick former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to be the U.S. Attorney General. She has since been confirmed.

Throughout this process, two former Florida Attorneys General have catapulted into the national spotlight.

Uthmeier has been a longtime advisor to Gov. DeSantis, working in the Executive Office of the Governor since 2019 and assuming the role of Chief of Staff in 2021.