ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings on Thursday officially announced that he is running for governor in Florida.

Demings was first sworn in as the county’s fifth elected mayor in 2018, and he was reelected in 2022, meaning his current term is slated to end next year.

Before being elected to his mayoral role, though, Demings served as Orlando’s police chief and Orange County’s sheriff.

Now, Demings’ campaign staff declared he is eyeing a role at the state level to tackle rising costs of living and improve public safety.

In a statement, Demings explained why he is running for the governor’s position:

“Across Florida, families are working harder than ever but struggling to keep up with the rising cost of housing, groceries, insurance, and electricity. Our state has

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