Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings launches campaign for Marco Rubio's Senate seat


Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) announced on Wednesday that she is entering the race to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
Demings, 64, is serving her third term representing Florida's 10th Congressional District. Before entering politics, she worked for the Orlando Police Department, becoming its first female chief of police.
"When you grow up in the South poor, Black, and female, you have to have faith in progress and opportunity," Demings said in a video released Wednesday. "My father was a janitor and my mother was a maid. She said, 'Never tire of doing good, never tire.' I've never tired of standing up for what I believe is right. Now I'm running for the United States Senate because of two simple words: 'never tire.'"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Demings entered the national spotlight during former President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, when she served as one of the House managers. Over the last several months, Demings was going back and forth between running for Senate or entering the gubernatorial race, and a person close to Demings told ABC News she wants to unseat Rubio due to frustration over Senate Republicans obstructing important legislation. GOP opposition to President Biden's COVID-19 relief package "pushed her over the edge," the person said.
Demings got a few digs in against Rubio in her video. "Unlike some in Washington, I never tire of standing up for what I believe is right, because no one is above the law," she said. "But it turns out, there are some in Washington who prefer the same old tired ways of doing business. Too tired to fight big efforts to suppress the people's vote, they fall back to tired talking points and backward solutions."
Rubio is seeking a third term in office. In a statement Wednesday, his campaign manager said Rubio "has consistently delivered for Florida families" and the state "deserves a senator with a proven track record of fighting, and winning, for Florida families."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections