ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings on Thursday officially announced that he is running for governor in Florida.
Demings was first sworn in as the county’s fifth elected mayor in 2018, and he was reelected in 2022, meaning his current term is slated to end next year.
Before being elected to his mayoral role, though, Demings served as Orlando’s police chief and Orange County’s sheriff.
Now, Demings’ campaign staff declared he is eyeing a role at the state level to tackle rising costs of living and improve public safety.
In a statement, Demings explained why he is running for the governor’s position:
“Across Florida, families are working harder than ever but struggling to keep up with the rising cost of housing, groceries, insurance, and electricity. Our state has become more expensive and less fair for everyone, all while power is being stripped away from local communities that know their residents best. Florida needs a change. We need a different type of governor who puts delivering results before grabbing headlines and petty political fights. As a local leader, I’ve seen firsthand what families are up against, and I’ve spent my career protecting communities and making government work for them, not for special interests. I’m running for governor to continue putting Florida families first, restore accountability, and make our state safe and affordable again.”
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings
State records show that Demings filed to run in the 2026 election last week as a Democrat. As such, he is slated to run against ex-Republican congressman David Jolly in a Democratic primary.
In a release, Jolly said he welcomes Demings into the race.
“All of Florida — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — deserves a spirited Democratic Party primary that puts voters first, one rooted in real solutions for the affordability of housing and healthcare, the future of public education, protecting personal freedoms, and restoring trust and competence in government,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds — the latter of whom received President Trump’s endorsement — have declared their gubernatorial campaigns as Republican candidates.
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Demings is also planning an “announcement rally” for Thursday evening, where he is expected to “share an important announcement and outline our vision for the future.” Details about the event are limited.
However, many have speculated in recent months about Demings’ plan to run for governor, largely due to his feud with Gov. Ron DeSantis and CFO Blaise Ingoglia over an audit into Orange County’s spending.
The county has been one of several municipalities to come under the state’s scrutiny, with figures like Ingoglia accusing them of “wasteful spending.”
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Regardless, there are five candidates so far who plan to run in 2026 to replace Demings as Orange County’s mayor: Stephanie Murphy, the former congresswoman from Winter Park, Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell, District 3 County Commissioner Mayra Uribe, tech businessman Chris Messina and Randy Fust Jr.
The Orange County mayoral race is a nonpartisan race.