James Uthmeier backs ‘principled conservative’ Erin Huntley as she runs to flip HD 45

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is backing Erin Huntley in the race for Florida House District 45, where she and one other Republican are running to flip the seat. 

“Erin Huntley is a principled conservative who will defend the rule of law and stand firmly with Florida law enforcement. She knows public safety is the foundation of freedom. I trust Erin to protect our values and lead with conviction in Tallahassee. She has my full endorsement,” Uthmeier posted to X. 

Huntley, Chair of the Orange GOP, faces Lee Steinhauer in the Republican Primary. 

Uthmeier’s nod, given his close relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump’s support for his election to the AG, for which he was appointed earlier this year, signals Huntley could have the edge in the Aug. 26 Primary next year. 

“Thank you, Attorney General @JamesUthmeierFL, for your trust and endorsement! I’ll always stand with first responders, defend the rule of law, and fight every day for the families of HD45,” Huntley wrote in response to Uthmeier’s endorsement. 

Huntley is running in one of the state’s biggest political battlegrounds, the Orange and Osceola County-based district. The district is currently represented by Democrat Leonard Spencer, who unseated Republican Rep. Carolina Amesty last year in the only race in Florida where a Democrat unseated a Republican incumbent.

It’s the only seat currently held by a Democrat where Trump outperformed Kamala Harris in 2024. 

Huntley also has support from U.S. Rep. Dan Webster. While he hasn’t officially endorsed her, she also can tout some support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed her earlier this year to serve on the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) Board of Trustees.

Huntley is also the current Orange County Republican Party Chair and serves as Chair of Chairs for the Republican Party of Florida. She is also a member of the Florida Association of Distributive Education Clubs of America Board of Advisors.

She’s raised nearly $135,000 to her official campaign, as of Sept. 30, as well as more than $79,000 to her affiliated political committee, Conservative Solutions for Florida.

Steinhauer’s campaign has raised about $40,000 as of the end of September. 

In that same span, Spencer has raised more than $25,000 for his campaign and another nearly $78,000 for his political committee, Friends of Leonard Spencer.

Huntley touts herself as a staunch ally of Trump, serving as an alternate delegate for the President and as one of just 30 Floridians representing him in the Electoral College, according to her campaign website.