Article Info
GOA Endorses Uthmeier for Florida AG
| Scope | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Florida |
| Impact | state |
| Key Entities | |
| Florida Attorney General, endorsement recipient | James Uthmeier |
| Endorsing organization, plaintiff in GOA v. Del Toro | Gun Owners of America |
| Co-endorsing organization, Latino Second Amendment advocacy group | Fuerza 2A |
| GOA Florida State Director | Luis Valdes |
| National Chair, Fuerza 2A | Alisabet Valdes |
| Legal Issues | |
| |
| What It Means | |
| |
| Timeline | |
| 2025 | First DCA strikes down Florida open-carry ban in McDaniels v. State |
| 2025 | Uthmeier issues guidance against arresting citizens for open carry; office withdraws defense of ban in GOA v. Del Toro |
GOA Endorses Uthmeier for Florida AG
Florida's sitting AG has already put his office behind open carry — GOA wants to keep him there
From The Boise Gun Club Handbook
Gun Owners of America and Fuerza 2A have endorsed Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for reelection, pointing to a track record they say goes beyond campaign promises.
Driving the news: This isn't a speculative endorsement of a candidate who might defend gun rights. Uthmeier is the sitting AG, and he's already acted — twice — on open carry.
Catch up quick:
- The First District Court of Appeal struck down Florida's open-carry ban in McDaniels v. State
- Uthmeier issued guidance directing law enforcement not to arrest citizens for openly carrying consistent with that ruling
- His office also announced it would stop defending prosecutions under the open-carry ban in GOA v. Del Toro
The big picture: Most pro-gun politicians run on the Second Amendment and govern around it. An AG who stops defending an unconstitutional law — in active litigation — is a different animal. That's the office being used as a shield, not just a bumper sticker.
"Floridians deserve an Attorney General who will not merely campaign as pro-gun, but who will actively use the office to defend the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners." — Alisabet Valdes, National Chair, Fuerza 2A
Beyond open carry, Uthmeier has also pushed back on attempts to strip Second Amendment rights from individuals not found to be dangerous, and challenged private associations trying to impose sweeping firearm bans that conflict with Florida law. That second piece is worth watching — HOA-style firearm restrictions are a quiet growth industry in states with dense development.
What to watch: Florida's open-carry situation remains in legal motion. The McDaniels ruling created the opening; the GOA v. Del Toro case is where the AG's non-defense posture becomes structurally significant. Whether Uthmeier stays in the seat matters to how that litigation resolves.
The bottom line: GOA doesn't hand out endorsements as participation trophies. When they back a sitting official, it's because the official already did something. Uthmeier did the work.
- Phils Custom Handloads(Swartz Creek, MI)
- Gls Guns(Sumner, IA)
- J & L Gunsmithing(Chesapeake, VA)
- Oliver Firearms(Spartanburg, SC)
Loading comments...