Rodríguez Tops $1M in AG Bid, Secures VoteWater Endorsement

A South Florida clean-water advocacy group that knows this coastline well has thrown its support behind Democrat José Javier Rodríguez in the race for Florida Attorney General as the former state lawmaker crossed $1 million raised in his bid to unseat Attorney General James Uthmeier.

VoteWater, whose mission maps directly onto the water-quality anxieties that animate voters in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, announced its endorsement of Rodríguez this week. For Treasure Coast residents who have watched Lake Okeechobee discharges foul the St. Lucie River and blue-green algae close their beaches, the group's backing carries particular weight.

VoteWater Executive Director Gil Smart said Rodríguez "stood up to polluters and ensured safe drinking water for families across our state" during his time in the Legislature and "fought to build resilience into our communities to mitigate the damage from natural disasters."

"We trust Jose to stand up for everyone who believes Floridians deserve clean water," Smart said in a statement.

The endorsement arrived alongside a fundraising milestone. Between Jan. 1 and March 31, Rodríguez raised $336,000 through his campaign account and political committee, Floridians for JJR, pushing his total haul since launching in early June 2025 to $1.02 million. After spending $533,000, he entered April with roughly $490,000 on hand.

His 603 first-quarter donations averaged $550 apiece, suggesting a broad small-dollar base alongside larger checks. Jacksonville lawyer and philanthropist Steve Pajcic was his biggest first-quarter donor, giving $75,000 to Rodríguez's political committee. The Florida Project, a political committee chaired by Florida Alliance Managing Director Tessa Bay, contributed $50,000.

Rodríguez, a Miami-based labor lawyer, served in the Florida House from 2012 to 2016 and in the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2020, when he narrowly lost re-election in a ghost-candidate scheme whose main conspirator was later criminally convicted. He was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor in 2024.

The VoteWater endorsement joins support from former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, former Attorney General Bob Butterworth and former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, among others.

Uthmeier, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in early 2025, faces a primary challenge from litigator Steven Leskovich. On the Democratic side, former state prosecutor Jim Lewis is also running. The primary is set for Aug. 18, with the general election on Nov. 3.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.