Democratic Congresswoman Val Demings formally filed paperwork Tuesday in her bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been in office since 2011.
Speaking to reporters before turning in qualifying papers in Tallahassee, Demings said Rubio’s politics are out of touch with Floridians and that he has taken the wrong stance on hot-button issues of abortion access and gun control.
“If there is legislation on the table that is good for Florida, and when I say good for Florida, that means Floridians, I am going to support that legislation,” Demings, a former Orlando police chief, said. “If it is bad for Florida or bad for Floridians, I am not going to support that. Time and time again, we have seen Florida’s senior senator (Rubio) play political games.”
Demings has represented parts of Central Florida in Congress since 2017. The formal qualifying period for this year’s elections is June 13 to June 17, though candidates can file paperwork starting this week.
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This article appears in May 25-31, 2022.