Former Sen. José Javier Rodríguez’s bid for Attorney General now has the backing of a man who once held the job — in addition to other major government posts.
Bob Butterworth, a fellow Democrat who served as Attorney General under four Governors from 1987 to 2002, said Rodríguez “has demonstrated a thoughtful and steady approach to the law, with a clear focus on protecting Floridians and upholding the responsibilities of the Attorney General’s office.”
“The office of Florida Attorney General carries enormous responsibility, and it demands a leader who understands the law, respects the independence of the job, and is willing to enforce it without politics or favoritism. José Javier Rodríguez understands that responsibility, which is why I’m proud to endorse him,” Butterworth said in a statement.
“At a time when trust in government is being tested, Florida needs an Attorney General with the judgment and independence to serve the public interest.”
Butterworth also served as a Judge, Broward County Sheriff, Mayor of Sunrise and led the Florida Department of Children and Families and Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. He was Attorney General under Republican Govs. Jeb Bush and Bob Martinez and Democratic Govs. Lawton Chiles and Buddy MacKay.
His endorsement adds to another Rodríguez netted from Latino Victory Fund.
Rodríguez said he has looked to Butterworth as a model for how he would serve if elected Attorney General this November.
“Bob Butterworth’s tenure as Attorney General set an example of how this office should serve the public, independent, principled, and grounded in the rule of law,” he said in a statement. “I’m committed to restoring that standard and ensuring the Attorney General’s office works for Floridians, not powerful interests.”
A labor lawyer from Miami, Rodríguez served in the Florida House from 2012 to 2016 and in the Senate from 2016 to 2020, when he narrowly lost his re-election bid in a so-called “ghost candidate” scheme that has since led to the criminal conviction of its main conspirator.
In 2024, he was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor under ex-President Joe Biden after years of delays.
He launched his campaign for Attorney General in early June 2025, vowing to take on the “corrupt power brokers who want to keep things as they are and keep increasing our costs.”
As of Monday afternoon, he is one of two Democrats — the other being former state prosecutor Jim Lewis — running to supplant appointed Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, who faces a Primary challenge from litigator Steven Leskovich.
Rodríguez reported raising nearly $700,000 in 2025, far more than the $2,000 Lewis reported adding through a self-loan.
Uthmeier, meanwhile, reported raising more than $6.35 million, significantly outstripping Leskovich, who raised and spent more than $114,700 last year.