Florida’s Republican governor and attorney general are locked in a power struggle as the state’s primary elections approach, according to a new report.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier recently “upstaged” Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis by announcing the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” building before the governor. This happened at a time when the term-limited DeSantis nears the end of his time in power.
President Donald Trump has also played a complicating part in this drama. Trump complimented Uthmeier on a recent tour of Alligator Alcatraz, telling the MAGA firebrand that he “has a future,” The New York Times reported.
Trump’s endorsement could help Uthmeier avoid drawing a primary challenger because of the president’s political weight. If successful, that would help Uthmeier avoid a costly battle in an election between Florida Republicans backed by Trump and those who are backed by DeSantis, according to the report.
DeSantis brought Uthmeier into the political arena when he hired him in 2019 to be his deputy counsel. Uthmeier was promoted to chief of staff in 2021 and then ran DeSantis’ presidential campaign in 2023, the Times reported.
Uthmeier has also used his time in the Attorney General’s office to advance the MAGA culture war. For instance, he sued a bar called the Kilted Mermaid for hosting a LGBTQIA+ night. Uthmeier accused the bar of sexualizing children in front of adults, even though state courts blocked a law prohibiting venues from admitting children to drag shows.
The attorney general has also sued Target for allegedly advancing a radical LGBTQ agenda, and claimed that “weather modification could have played a role” in the deadly Texas floods earlier this month.