Val Demings Announces Senate run Against Rubio

Rep. Val Demings (D) has officially announced that she is running against Senator Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate.

Rep. Demings' announcement came in form of a 3-minute video that outlines her upbringing in Jacksonville through her career in law enforcement, and her current position in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Demings takes aim at Sen. Rubio in the video, referring to him those Republican legislators  “in Washington who prefer the same old tired ways of doing business, too tired to fight the efforts to suppress the people's vote they fall back to tired talking points and backward solutions.”

The video falls a bit flat, as it tries to cram too much in those three minutes, and attempts to mimic former Republican congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik’s groundbreaking video of her walking in the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.

Rubio’s campaign manager Mark Morgan responded to Deming’s announcement, stating that Demings “has voted with Nancy Pelosi nearly 100% of the time” and voted to “defund police.”

“Marco has consistently delivered for Florida families. He created the small business rescue plan that saved millions of Florida Jobs, took on his own party to double the Child Tax Credit, and fought to ensure Florida veterans receive the care they earned,” stated Morgan.

Marco’s contrast with Val Demings could not be greater because she has no record of results for Florida. Since coming to Washington, she has voted with Nancy Pelosi nearly 100% of the time. She supported efforts to defund the police, opposed tax relief for working families, and led the effort to put Washington in charge of Florida’s elections. Florida deserves a Senator with a proven track record of fighting, and winning, for Florida families.”

Earlier this week, Rubio called Demings an “honorary member” of the Progressive Squad in the House of Representatives.

“How can you vote with ‘the Squad’ 94% of the time and argue that you’re not an honorary member of that group? How can you vote with Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time and argue that you’re not a far-left, liberal extremist?” Rubio said to Fox News in an exclusive interview Monday, dismissing any description of the Florida Democrat as a moderate.

Demings voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a measure that defunds law enforcement agencies if they do not comply with the bill.

The Firebrand

Demings’ sharp style of speaking has helped her shore up her Progressive base of support but could hurt Demings with the mainstream voting bloc in Florida.

And then there is her past anti-Trump, pro-impeachment statements, and voting record. As we said before, Demings has solidified her Progressive bona fides and could run away with her political party’s senatorial nomination, if she is challenged in a primary.

Florida Republicans were quick to react to Demings announcement:

“Val Demings is a political opportunist who went to Washington, became a puppet of Nancy Pelosi, and consistently places Pelosi’s socialist agenda ahead of the best interests of Florida families. Just look at her voting record.. The Real Val Demings has voted with Pelosi 100% of the time, and like Pelosi would defund our police, lockdown our economy, close our schools, raise taxes on working families, gut the 2^nd amendment, and let the crisis at our border get worse.

Demings is clearly delusional about what is good for the Sunshine State.  She thinks Pelosi knows what is best for Florida families. While Senator Rubio consistently delivers results for Florida, Val Demings will always prioritize her political ambitions and liberal socialist agenda over the needs of Florida families.”- Helen Aguire Ferre, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Florida