Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings says his bid for Florida governor will focus on rising costs

Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel on Nov 6, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said Thursday his run for governor will be focused on bringing down costs for families and he will be a candidate “who puts delivering results before grabbing headlines.”

“Across Florida, families are working harder than ever but struggling to keep up with the rising cost of housing, groceries, insurance and electricity,” Demings said in a statement. “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.”

Demings has his first rally of the campaign scheduled for Thursday evening in Orlando. He formally filed paperwork to run earlier this month after being rumored as a candidate for several months.

He’s wrapping up his second and final term as mayor of one of Florida’s last Democratic bastions. Throughout his term, he’s clashed with state leaders on a host of issues ranging from COVID-19 response and restrictions to, more recently, requirements for local governments to participate in immigration enforcement.

He enters a Democratic primary facing former congressman David Jolly, who served in D.C. as a Republican before leaving the party in President Trump’s first term. He became a Democrat and joined the race earlier this year.

In a statement, he welcomed Demings to the primary. The two are the front-running candidates so far.

“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 in a statement.

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