Rep. Val Demings, the Florida Democrat who was on President Biden's shortlist for a running mate in the 2020 presidential election, is planning a run for the U.S. Senate, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.A national Democrat with knowledge of the party's strategy on Senate races told NPR's Claudia Grisales that Demings "is strongly considering a Senate run."An announcement would pit Demings, a former Orlando police chief who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016, against incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican. "Val is an impressive and formidable candidate whose potential entrance would make the race against Rubio highly competitive," the source said.The news was first reported by Politico.Separately, a source close to Demings confirmed to Grisales that the congresswoman "is planning a run with an announcement coming soon."Demings alsoserved on the House impeachment committee during then-President Donald Trump's first impeachment proceedings. Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Rep. Val Demings Considers Run For U.S. Senate Against Marco Rubio
