Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said Thursday his run for governor will be focused on bringing down costs for families and he will be a candidate “who puts delivering results before grabbing headlines.”
“Across Florida, families are working harder than ever but struggling to keep up with the rising cost of housing, groceries, insurance and electricity,” Demings said in a statement. “Our state has become more expensive and less fair for everyone, all while power is being stripped away from local communities that know their residents best.”
Demings has his first campaign rally scheduled for Thursday evening in Orlando. He formally filed paperwork to run last week after being rumored as a candidate for several months.
He’s wrapping up his second and final term as mayor of one of Florida’s last Democratic bastions. Throughout his term, he’s clashed with state leaders on a host of issues ranging from COVID-19 response and restrictions to, more recently, requirements for local governments to participate in immigration enforcement.
Jasmine Burney-Clark, the founder of the Black-led civic engagement organization Equal Ground, said Demings’ moderate views and law enforcement background – he was Orlando’s first Black police chief and Orange County’s first Black sheriff – could be a factor in Florida.
“The state wants to prioritize policing and I think he’s one of the best candidates to put that forward,” she said. “My belief is, who better than him? Particularly because Democrats have not been able to be successful with the Republican-to-independent pipeline.”
Demings enters a Democratic primary facing former congressman David Jolly, who served in D.C. as a Republican before leaving the party in President Trump’s first term. He became a Democrat and joined the race earlier this year.
In a statement, Jolly welcomed Demings to the primary.
“All of Florida—Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike—deserves a spirited Democratic Party primary that puts voters first, one rooted in real solutions for the affordability of housing and healthcare, the future of public education, protecting personal freedoms, and restoring trust and competence in government,” he said in a statement.
The eventual winner of the primary will face a Republican with steep built-in advantages. The Florida GOP is a fundraising juggernaut and has a 1.4 million-voter advantage in registration.
Already in the contest are U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, who is backed by President Trump, and former House Speaker Paul Renner. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins has said he’s strongly considering running, and rumors have swirled about First Lady Casey DeSantis as well.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.