Jacksonville native U.S. Rep. Val Demings officially announces run for U.S. Senate

Demings aims to challenge Florida’s senior Sen. Marco Rubio for seat

Bobby Caina Calvin
Scott Johnson, Reporter/weekend anchor

Published: June 9, 2021 7:44 am
Updated: June 9, 2021 6:29 pm

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Rep. Val Demings launched a bid for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, raising hope among Democrats of ousting Florida’s Republican Sen. Marco Rubio from the evenly divided chamber.

With the Senate now split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, the Florida race will undoubtedly be among the nation’s most high profile and expensive battles next year.

The Orlando congresswoman used a video on social media to begin introducing herself to a wider audience. In the video, Demings showcases her rise from a working-class background to become the police chief of one of Florida’s largest cities before ascending to the U.S. Congress.

“When you grow up in the South, poor, Black and female, you have to have faith and progress and opportunity,” she says in her video.

News4Jax spoke with Demings on Wednesday afternoon during a teleconference. She was asked to explain how she plans to flip the seat to the Democratic party.

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