Jerry Demings kicks off Florida governor race with campaign tour.
Jerry Demings, the incumbent mayor of Orlando, announced a campaign for Florida’s governorship during a launch event held at a hotel in Orlando last week. The announcement came after a high‑profile campaign kickoff and indicates that he will finish his current mayoral term while campaigning.
The mayor plans to build a statewide campaign infrastructure, secure new donors, and tour the state to meet voters. He cited the need to “dial for dollars” alongside retail politics to broaden his base.
Demings brings a record of local campaign fundraising—$356,000 for the 2022 mayoral race and over $800,000 in 2018— and will draw on his wife Val Demings’ national fundraising experience, who raised $79 million for her 2018 U.S. Senate bid.
His primary opponents include David Jolly, who has raised approximately $2 million, and Republican challengers Byron Donalds ($31 million) and Paul Renner ($3.5 million). Demings has also been involved in public disputes with Gov. Ron DeSantis and state officials over policy matters.
Demings stated he will continue his mayoral duties through the campaign and that early campaign activities will focus on a listening tour; no detailed event schedule or fundraising totals have been released yet.