Jerry Demings calls for a ‘new style of leadership’ and change as he launches Governor bid

A spirited Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said he is confident he can gain bipartisan support to win the Governor’s race as he rallied his supporters to vote out “performative politicians in Tallahassee.”

“This is not a right or left moment, but a right or wrong moment in our history. The power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Demings said at his rally Thursday in Orlando’s tourism corridor to officially launch his bid. “We’re tired of toxic and divisive politics. If you vote for me, it’s a vote for a new style of leadership. It’s a vote for change. It’s a vote for democracy.”

Then Demings, a former sheriff, countered, “It’s time for a new sheriff in town.”

Demings will face former Rep. David Jolly in a Democratic Primary. For Republicans, Rep. Byron Donalds and former House Speaker Paul Renner are running for Governor.

Demings has become a Republican target in recent months, before the Orlando Democrat officially announced his bid.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened to suspend Demings and the Orange County Commission from office if they did not approve an immigration contract with the federal government. And Republicans are attacking Orange County over the local Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) audits.

“This week, the Chief Financial Officer of Florida and a few of his Republican friends called me woke. I don’t know what they mean by woke,” Demings countered Thursday. “But after 4½ decades of public service — they woke me up.”

Demings’ rally gave glimpses into upcoming campaign attacks.

“He is an authentic person. He doesn’t change his party,” his wife, former U.S. Rep. Val Demings, said, taking a swipe at Jolly, who switched from Republican to Democrat. 

Demings told reporters that Donalds — who many view as the front-runner with President Donald Trump’s endorsement — lacks the experience to run the state.

“He has never worked at this granular level, from being a beat cop to where I’m sitting today, wrestling with the issues that average Floridians have to deal with. He’s not done that. He’s in Washington, D.C.,” Demings told reporters after his rally. “I’ve had to lead through all those circumstances, from terror attacks to mass shooting situations to dealing with hurricanes, to leading during a global pandemic. I’ve been on the ground. There’s no substitute for experience. That’s a big difference between he and I.”

Vowing to bring a new style of leadership of optimism and compassion, Demings is seeking to be Florida’s first Black Governor — the pinnacle in what’s already been a trailblazing career in Central Florida.

Demings, a cop who would go on to become Orlando’s first Black police chief and first Black Sheriff, was elected as the first Black Orange Mayor in 2018.

At his rally, Demings spoke of increasing state employee pay, providing better support for the homeless and people who have a mental illness, as well as restoring power to local governments to stop the state from preempting their authority. He is also focusing on affordability issues, as many Floridians struggle with rising insurance and grocery costs.

Cheering him on Thursday were many Central Florida elected officials, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis.

Conservatives are already attacking the latest arrival to the Governor’s race with Donalds’ campaign saying, “ Jerry Demings is weak. He’s woke. And he’s wrong for Florida. 

The Washington, D.C.-based Republican Governors Association said in a statement, “Demings may have served in law enforcement at one time, but in elected office, Demings only serves himself and his liberal allies. Florida deserves better.”