Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL-10), who is seeking to unseat incumbent Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R), denounced the “Defund the Police” movement in a series of new ads.
“When he says I want to defund the police – I am the police!” Demings told reporters after an event, referencing an accusation from Rubio. “Does that make any sense? I mean, come on.”
Before politics, Demings worked as police chief for the City of Orlando and she expressed frustration with many inside her own ranks within the Democrat Party who have been advocating for the defunding movement.
Rubio also launched a series of ads in response to Demings that said she thought the City of Minneapolis’ proposal to defund their police was “very thoughtful.”
“In 2020, when Minneapolis had the plan to defund their police department, Val Demings called that ‘thoughtful,’ and that’s very disturbing,” said Steve Zona, the Florida Fraternal Order of Police president.
Once Val Demings got to Washington she became a Pelosi puppet and turned her back on law enforcement pic.twitter.com/YoMy1pTwpF
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 28, 2022
Demings made her comments on a CBS Sunday Morning feature.
“I do believe that everyone has a right to look at any proposal that is put forth because there desperately needs to be change,” Demings said on the CBS program. “I also believe that the council is being very thoughtful in terms of looking at all of the services that police provide … . The council, along with law enforcement authorities and other community leaders, will sit down and look at everything and come out with a plan that allows them to keep Minneapolis safe but also bring the community and the police together in a much needed and long overdue way.”
Demings weighed into another controversial policy position recently, and she expressed her support for abortion access after the Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States.
“We must work relentlessly to preserve our right to choose and our right to privacy,” Demings said. “We must protect Roe v. Wade in federal law. We cannot go back to a time when women were treated as second-class citizens who don’t have control over our own bodies.”
The prospects of Demings unseating Rubio, who has held the Senate seat since 2010, have been characterized as a challenge, especially in a state like Florida that has grown more and more red in recent election cycles.
In a recent poll, Rubio held a 6-point lead over Demings.
NEW: @ppppolls (D)
2022 FL Senate General Election
(R) Marco Rubio 47% (+6)
(D) Val Demings 41%President Biden Job Approval (FL)
Approve 34%
Disapprove 53%655 RV / 05/26-05/28
State Sample: R39/D32/I29 https://t.co/3vfR9cNPck— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) June 2, 2022
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
