Democratic nominee for Florida Attorney General José Javier Rodríguez has launched a new television and digital advertisement titled “Give ’Em Hell,” marking the start of a multimillion-dollar statewide broadcast and digital media campaign.
The ad, released in both English and Spanish, centers on Rodríguez’s background and career while sharply criticizing incumbent Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Rodríguez, like other statewide Democratic candidates, faces an uphill challenge to defeat Uthmeier because Republicans hold a commanding advantage in registered voters.
Registered Republican voters far outnumber registered Democratic voters by more than 1.5 million, according to the latest voter registration data from the state Division of Elections. GOP voters represent about 42% of all voters. Democrats comprise about 30%; No Party Affiliation voters about 24%.
In the campaign spot, Rodríguez connects his personal family history to his motivation for public service, pointing to his roots as the son of a Cuban refugee.
“I’m José Javier Rodríguez. My father left communist Cuba,” Rodríguez says in the ad. “We know what it looks like when the powerful prey on their own people.”
Rodríguez frames his candidacy around fighting corporate overreach and public corruption, contrasting his record with his opponent's.
“When I stood up to corporations for screwing us, they tried to give me hell,” Rodríguez asserts in the campaign release. “I gave it right back. I’ve spent my career fighting crime and corruption.”
The ad takes direct aim at Uthmeier, whom Rodríguez accuses of abusing the state’s top legal office for personal and political gain.
“My opponent? He uses the office of Attorney General to enrich himself and his friends. Costing us money,” Rodríguez says in the spot. “And we’re sick of it.”
Closing the campaign message, the Democratic candidate pledges to prioritize everyday residents if elected: “As Attorney General, I’ll keep fighting for you!”
The campaign confirmed that “Give ’Em Hell” represents the initial rollout of a comprehensive, statewide media program spanning broadcast television and digital platforms across Florida markets.
