James Uthmeier, described by Gov. Ron DeSantis as a "bulldog," was sworn in as Florida's attorney general Monday, filling the role previously held by Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla.
According to the Washington Examiner, DeSantis announced that he intended to appoint Uthmeier to replace Moody last month, when he elevated her to the U.S. Senate to replace outgoing Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who was picked by President Donald Trump to lead the State Department.
Uthmeier, 37, formerly served as DeSantis' chief of staff and became one of the youngest state attorneys general.
At the swearing-in ceremony in Tallahassee, DeSantis described Uthmeier as a "bulldog in our administration."
"This was not a very difficult decision for me to put James as the next attorney general, because I know he's got the foundation," DeSantis said, according to the Examiner. "I know he's got the proper worldview."
The Associated Press reported that DeSantis, a Republican, praised Uthmeier's work in fighting federal COVID-19 mandates during the pandemic and combating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in higher education.
Uthmeier promised to "endeavor every day to do what is right and to levy justice where it is due."
"We will champion an America-first agenda, and we will fight back against the cartels, the gangs, and the traffickers that have wreaked havoc on our country for far too long," Uthmeier said, according to the AP. "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."
Unhappy with DeSantis' pick, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried called the selection of Uthmeier the "clearest example of weaponizing the judicial branch of government."
"As Chief of Staff, James was the architect of the state's multi-million dollar political campaign using taxpayer dollars to defeat Amendments 3 and 4 and deny Floridians their freedom. He's shown he is willing to do anything, including breaking the law to keep his mob boss happy," Fried said in a statement Monday.
The Examiner reported that Uthmeier will serve out the remainder of Moody's term, which expires in January 2027, and will be eligible to run for a full term as state attorney general next year.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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