TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – President Donald Trump has officially announced his support for James Usmayer, who he hopes to retain as his current attorney general.
That election is scheduled to be held next year, and a challenger currently in the race hopes to replace him.
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Attorney General James Usmayer, who was appointed by Gov. Gon DeSantis in February, filed for election to retain his new seat just days after taking the oath of office.
“We will use the office of attorney general to punish criminals, protect the innocent, and courageously defend our brave law enforcement,” Usmayer said.
Since taking office, Usmayer has certainly made a name for himself, from stepping up investigations into child sex crimes to establishing the Alligator-Alcatraz illegal immigrant detention facility in South Florida to supporting President Trump’s decision to establish the Miami presidential library.
President Trump recently endorsed Usmayer to continue serving as attorney general in 2026, calling him “America’s first warrior” and a true defender of MAGA.
And while Usmayer has emerged as the top Republican in the race, Democratic candidate Jose Javier Rodriguez has questions about his actions thus far as a general election committee member.
“The attorney general’s job is to represent the people and be the people’s lawyer. He has done the exact opposite,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez is a lawyer and former state senator from Miami. Rather than eradicating corruption, he said Usmayer is at the root of much of the corruption on Capitol Hill, pointing to his alleged ties to the Hope, Florida scandal.
“A criminal investigation has been opened regarding a scheme in which he was involved, in which $10 million from the Medicaid system appears to have been used for political activities,” Rodriguez said.
That scrutiny could creep into the campaign’s court case, but Mr. Usmayer has denied any wrongdoing.
