Vice President Kamala Harris (D) campaigned with Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL-13) in South Florida earlier this week in an attempt to bolster Demings’ chances of unseating Sen. Marco Rubio (R) in this November’s election.
Both Demings and Harris were one-time finalists for the vice president pick after then-candidate Joe Biden achieved the Democrat presidential nomination in 2020. The job eventually went to Harris, but Demings made a name for herself among Florida Democrats.
Many polls and projections are saying Florida is a solidly red state and unseating Rubio is a tall order, but Demings has said she still feels Florida is a swing state.
“We are living in some strange times, we’re living in some unbelievable times, we’re living in some difficult times, and we’re living in some crazy times,” Demings said. “But I didn’t come tonight to just bring you bad news. I came tonight to bring you some good news, too: I’m running for the United States Senate and, doggone it, I am going to win.”
Elizabeth Gregory, communications director for the Rubio campaign, said that Demings ““has celebrated every disastrous decision made by the White House, including the radical spending that got us into the Biden Recession.”
According to FiveThirtyEight, Demings has voted with the Biden administration’s agenda 100 percent of the time, at a time when Biden’s approval ratings in Florida have not moved above 40 percent in months.
“Val Demings heads to Miami the same day as Kamala Harris to continue capitalizing on her 100% voting record with the Biden Administration,” said Priscilla Ivasco, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “Unfortunately for Demings that isn’t going to work in Florida. Floridians know exactly where her allegiance lies and it is not with the best interest of Florida families, but her own political ambitions in Washington.”
As of last month, Rubio still holds a lead in the polls over Demings, but the race is tightening up as the election gets closer. Specifically, voters preferred Rubio over Demings 45 percent to 40 percent.
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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.
Photo “Kamala Harris” by Kamala Harris. Photo “Val Demings” by Val Demings.
