Miami
FLORIDA Leon County sheriff backs José Javier Rodríguez in Florida attorney general race
Walt McNeil endorsed the former Democratic state senator over current Attorney General James Uthmeier. Florida Politics reported that the move adds a prominent law-enforcement voice to Rodríguez’s campaign.
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil has endorsed José Javier Rodríguez in Florida’s race for attorney general, backing the Democrat against current officeholder James Uthmeier.
According to Florida Politics, McNeil said Rodríguez is the candidate best positioned to support sheriffs and police departments across the state. He framed public safety as a matter of partnership, experience and commitment to public service.
The endorsement carries law-enforcement significance, Florida Politics reported, given McNeil’s more than four decades in public safety. His résumé includes leading the Tallahassee Police Department, serving as secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice, and presiding over the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Rodríguez, a Miami labor lawyer, said McNeil’s experience would be valuable as he pushes for closer coordination between the Attorney General’s Office and local law-enforcement agencies.
Florida Politics noted that Rodríguez served in the Florida House from 2012 to 2016, in the state Senate from 2016 to 2020, and later as a U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor in Joe Biden’s administration. His campaign has emphasized violent-crime prevention, child protection, support for local police and action against government corruption.
The outlet added that McNeil joins a broader list of political and labor endorsements for Rodríguez, and that the announcement came after the launch of a multimillion-dollar statewide advertising campaign.
Uthmeier, formerly Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff, became attorney general by appointment last year. A St. Pete Polls survey conducted last month for Florida Politics found him and Rodríguez statistically tied. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
