Former Miami Democratic state Sen. José Javier Rodriguez (via Twitter).
First-quarter fundraising totals for state candidates have now been reported, and Florida Democratic attorney general candidate José Javier Rodríguez is taking issue with a couple of financial contributions received by the man he hopes to replace in November, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Among the donations Uthmeier’s political action committee drew was $50,000 from gun manufacturer Sig Sauer. That company showered hundreds of thousands of dollars to Florida Republicans this year as it attempted to get the Legislature to pass a measure (HB 1551) shielding it from liability lawsuits. The bill passed in the Florida House but died in committee in the Florida Senate.
Friends of James Uthmeier also reported a $100,000 contribution from RAI Services Co., a tobacco manufacturer and subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc.
“While Florida families are struggling to keep up with rising costs, James Uthmeier is bankrolling his campaign with checks from Big Tobacco and a gun manufacturer looking to avoid accountability. That tells you everything you need to know about who he’s working for, and why Floridians aren’t seeing relief,” said Rodríguez in a written statement.
“Floridians deserve an Attorney General who stands up to corporate abuse, not one funded by it. As Attorney General, I’ll be the people’s lawyer — focused on lowering costs, protecting consumers, and holding powerful interests accountable.”
Combined with his regular campaign account, Uthmeier has raised more than $8 million in his bid to win office for the first time after being appointed to the position by Gov. Ron DeSantis a year ago.
Rodríguez has raised a combined total of more than $1 million between his regular campaign account and PAC.
Through the bully pulpit of his office, Uthmeier is able to generate media coverage on a nearly daily basis by hosting news conferences around the state.
Despite his lack of visibility, Rodríguez appears to be running a competitive race against his much better funded opponent. A Democratic-based survey of more than 1,000 statewide voters published on Monday showed him narrowly leading Uthmeier in the race for attorney general.