Orange County Mayor Demings makes bid for Florida governor official

Source: Politico

11/03/2025 03:43 PM EST


TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has made his bid for Florida governor official.

Demings opened a campaign account for governor Friday, a necessary first step to starting a campaign for the office currently held by Gov. Ron DeSantis. POLITICO reported last week that Demings was expected to announce his candidacy at a rally scheduled Thursday in Orlando.

Demings is a well-known central Florida Democrat political figure who also spent several decades in law enforcement, including nine years as Orange County sheriff. He is married to Val Demings, a former member of Congress who was on Joe Biden’s short list for vice president. She also mounted an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate against Marco Rubio.

His decision to enter the race means this could be the first time in Florida’s history that both parties have Black nominees running for governor. Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, is the frontrunner on the Republican side.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/03/orange-county-mayor-demings-florida-governor-00633749