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Orange County, FL - Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has officially filed paperwork to run for Florida governor in the 2026 election, entering a crowded field of candidates from both parties.
Demings becomes the second major Democrat to join the race after former U.S. Representative David Jolly.
On the Republican side, U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, considered the GOP frontrunner following an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, is among the leading contenders.
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner has also declared his candidacy, and Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins has indicated interest in joining the race.
Demings, a longtime public servant with nearly four decades in law enforcement and local government, began his career as an Orlando police officer in the 1980s.
He later became Orlando’s police chief and was elected as Orange County sheriff before taking office as county mayor in 2018.
His wife, Val Demings, is a former U.S. congresswoman and 2022 Senate candidate.
If Demings and Donalds secure their respective nominations, the general election would mark the first time in Florida history that both major-party candidates for governor are Black.
A spokesperson for Demings declined to comment on the filing but confirmed plans for an official campaign kickoff in Orlando later this week.
Statewide primaries are scheduled for August 2026.
Demings’ decision sets up what could become one of Florida’s most competitive and closely watched governor’s races as term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis prepares to leave office.