Demings Will Tout Police Career in Bid to Flip Florida Senate Seat, Oust Rubio

Democratic representative would join a chamber where only two Black women have served. 

Val Demings prepares to board her campaign bus after an election-night event in Orlando. 

Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Only three Democrats have won a statewide election in Florida in the past two decades. Representative Val Demings hopes to join that club by winning a seat in the US Senate, a chamber where only two Black women have served.

After beating three little-known candidates in Tuesday’s primary with 84% of the vote, Demings will face off in November against incumbent Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who has held the seat since 2011.