Rep Val Demings Will Challenge Marco Rubio for His Senate Seat in 2022

By Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root

18 May 21

 

ep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) is not coming to play games.

She was reportedly considered to be Joe Biden’s running mate, has a history of being a no-nonsense straight shooter, and the people of Florida—the ones who aren’t on meth or saving up their coins to afford a Mar-a-Lago membership—love her. So it makes sense that she’s going to leave her House seat for the Senate.

In 2022, Demings will challenge Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for his seat, Politico reports.

“Val is an impressive and formidable candidate whose potential entrance would make the race against Rubio highly competitive,” a Democrat with knowledge of the party’s direction told Politico.

Demings had been toying with the idea of entering the Senate race, telling MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart in April that she was considering a run.

“I have received calls and texts and messages from people all over the state asking me to run because they feel that they are not represented and their voices are not heard,” she said. “I want to go, Jonathan, to the position where I can do the most good. And be the most effective and do the most work. My home state of Florida deserves that.”

Demings has served in the House since 2017 and her husband is the mayor of Orange County, Fla. And because white people love this shit, Demings worked as the chief of Orlando’s police department.

But why now?

“If I had to point to one thing, I think it’s the COVID bill and the way Republicans voted against it for no good reason,” an adviser for Demings told Politico. “That really helped push her over the edge. She also had this huge fight with [Ohio Republican Rep.] Jim Jordan and it brought that into focus. This fight is in Washington and it’s the right fight for her to continue.”

Rubio was planning to run for reelection for his seat, which he’s held since 2011, but something tells me he may make up a stomach-thingy so he can leave school early now that he knows that Demings wants a fight.