Could ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz become Florida's attorney general? Gaetz, who withdrew his nomination as U.S. Attorney General, still has strong name ID and is well-liked enough among Florida's GOP base to be a formidable candidate, Axios reports. In a hypothetical primary matchup against current Attorney General James Uthmeier, Gaetz was favored 39%-21%, found a survey of likely Republican voters by Tony Fabrizio, a pollster who works for Donald Trump and other GOP clients. There's already a war of words between Gaetz and Uthmeier supporters over right-wing influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, the Florida men who were allowed to return to the U.S. after facing sex-trafficking charges in Romania. Uthmeier on Tuesday announced an investigation into the Tates. Gaetz — who as a member of Congress faced allegations of paying a minor for sex — has criticized Uthmeier's motives.
"2026 is going to be a dynamic year in Florida politics, for sure," Gaetz said. "I'm humbled that so many Florida Republicans support me. Sometimes the AG itch doesn't go away with one scratch." Gaetz has considered running for state attorney general in the past and hasn't ruled it out in 2026. He's also told others he might run for governor. In red-state Florida, the victor of in a GOP primary in a statewide race is typically the odds-on favorite to win in the general election. Uthmeier has never run for statewide office. He was chief of staff for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed Uthmeier attorney general two weeks ago to fill the seat vacated by Ashley Moody. DeSantis appointed Moody to fill Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate seat, which he gave up to become Trump's secretary of state. Gaetz quit Congress and then his bid for the top Justice Department post amid a crush of headlines related to a years-long sex-trafficking investigation that resulted in no charges.