Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) announced she is officially running for U.S. Senate in the 2022 elections.
“I’m running for U.S. Senate because I will never tire of standing up for what is right. Never tire of serving Florida. Never tire of doing good,” Demings tweeted on Wednesday, along with a video.
She is so far the highest profile Democrat to launch a Senate campaign seeking to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).
Demings, a former Orlando police chief, added in her video:
“Unlike some in Washington, I never tired of standing up for what I believe is right, because no one is above the law. But it turns out, there are some in Washington who prefer the same old tired ways of doing business… I’m running for the United States Senate because of two simple words: Never tired.”
Watch the video below:
https://twitter.com/valdemings/status/1402581582528057345
Demings also told the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday, “I know how to get through tough times, and I think we would all agree that we’re in some really tough, unusual times right now. But I’m not afraid of a tough fight.”
The Democratic lawmaker continued, “We are dealing with some critical issues. And we need bold, courageous leaders to deal with those issues. And the bottom line is, too many times Marco Rubio did not show up. And when he did, he did not have enough courage to fight for Florida.”
Ahead of Demings’s expected announcement, Rubio appeared on Fox News on Monday where he said, “None of them [Demings and other Democrats] will admit to being a socialist. She probably won’t. But she certainly has voted for socialist things.”
Pushing back on Rubio’s remarks, Demings said, “I am not.” She added, “I have dedicated my life to public service. I spent the overwhelming majority of that time, 27 years, as a law enforcement officer. I served as the chief of police. … Desperate people will do and say desperate things. And I don’t blame Rubio and the GOP for being very concerned about me running for the United States Senate against Marco Rubio.”
Demings is currently serving her third term representing Florida’s 10th congressional district. Rubio is looking to serve a third term in the Senate.