TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Rep. Val Demings, who has served as a Democratic congresswoman for part of Orlando since 2017, is officially looking for a higher office.
Demings formally filed to run for U.S. Senate Tuesday in Tallahassee.
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“Only in America can the daughter of a maid and janitor have such an amazing opportunity,” Demings said in a tweet after filing paperwork.
Demings is looking to replace Florida’s senior senator, Republican Marco Rubio, who is up for re-election. Rubio has not filed his campaign paperwork yet, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
“This race is between (Rubio) and me,” Demings said afterward. “And at the end of the day, the voters will have a clear choice, between someone who has been in elected office since 1998, God bless him, or someone who has put on a bulletproof vest at night, left my sons at home, tucked them in bed and (went) to work to protect our community.”
— Val Demings (@valdemings) May 31, 2022
So far, six Democrats have filed their intention to run for U.S. Senate. Demings is heavily expected to be the nominee after the August primary.
Before Demings was a congresswoman, she was chief of the Orlando Police Department.
The Florida qualifying period for the 2022 Election runs from June 13 through June 17.