Overview
- At a rally at Orlando’s Rosen Centre, Demings called for a “new style of leadership,” as Val Demings introduced him and local officials including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Sheriff John Mina attended.
- He outlined priorities that include expanding Medicaid, holding insurers accountable, lowering energy costs, protecting water and the environment, raising state employee pay, and strengthening support for homeless and mentally ill residents.
- Demings, a former Orlando police chief and Orange County sheriff who has served as county mayor since 2018, emphasized public safety and said he wants to make Florida the safest state in America.
- His entry sets up a Democratic primary against former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who welcomed the contest even as both campaigns court voters focused on affordability and statewide viability.
- He joins a large 2026 gubernatorial field that includes GOP contenders Byron Donalds, who has the president’s endorsement, and Paul Renner, with Republicans already attacking Demings over past clashes with the DeSantis administration on immigration and state audits.