WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:02:45.4290000" NOTE recognizability:0.924 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.376 The 2022 midterm elections NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:01.376 --> 00:00:03.440 are just under a year away, NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:03.440 --> 00:00:05.659 so it's never too early to begin NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:05.659 --> 00:00:08.199 taking a deeper look at the candidates. NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:08.200 --> 00:00:10.363 Florida Senate showdown is expected to be NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:10.363 --> 00:00:12.957 one of the more closely watched races. NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:15.000 Among those in the running senator, NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:16.565 a senior senator and former NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:16.565 --> 00:00:17.817 presidential candidate Marco Rubio NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:17.817 --> 00:00:19.420 and Congresswoman Val Demings. NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:19.420 --> 00:00:21.460 Now Demmings is a Jacksonville native, NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:22.628 also the first woman, NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:22.628 --> 00:00:24.088 an African American to head NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:24.088 --> 00:00:25.878 the Orlando Police Department, NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:25.880 --> 00:00:28.408 and she more recently was vetted as a NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:28.408 --> 00:00:31.068 candidate to become now President Joe Biden. NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:31.070 --> 00:00:32.804 Running mate are Keith and Nelson NOTE Confidence: 0.9277714 00:00:32.804 --> 00:00:34.579 sat down with Demmings one on one. NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:35.480 --> 00:00:37.430 The midterm election approaches swiftly. NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:37.430 --> 00:00:39.370 Announcements are being made. I'm NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:39.370 --> 00:00:41.698 running for the United States Senate NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:41.700 --> 00:00:44.034 insult slinging Val Demings votes with NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:44.034 --> 00:00:46.760 the Socialist squad 94% of the time, NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:46.760 --> 00:00:49.094 all to be interpreted by voters NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:49.094 --> 00:00:51.429 who yearn for life to simply NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:51.430 --> 00:00:53.802 get better voting rights. NOTE Confidence: 0.90569997 00:00:53.802 --> 00:00:57.030 No justice women's rights. Equal rights, NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:00:57.030 --> 00:00:59.140 I think those are pretty NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:00.828 important pieces of legislation. NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:00.830 --> 00:01:02.099 Speculation, running wild NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.190 for months. Would the Democratic NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:04.190 --> 00:01:05.862 Congresswoman Orlando's first black NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:05.862 --> 00:01:08.017 police chief with Jacksonville roots, NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:08.020 --> 00:01:09.736 take on Republican Governor NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:09.736 --> 00:01:11.881 Ron DeSantis popular among his NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:11.881 --> 00:01:14.421 base or run another tough race NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:14.421 --> 00:01:16.053 against Senator Marco Rubio, NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:18.170 who hails from Florida's most NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:18.170 --> 00:01:19.864 populous county, Miami Dade. NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:19.864 --> 00:01:21.974 The Senate is the place NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:21.980 --> 00:01:24.260 where I believe that I NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:24.260 --> 00:01:26.540 can do the greater good. NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:28.857 When you grow up in the South, NOTE Confidence: 0.92757314 00:01:28.860 --> 00:01:31.516 4 black and female, you have to have NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:31.520 --> 00:01:32.543 faith and announcement. NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:32.543 --> 00:01:34.589 In June Buzz and energy on NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:34.589 --> 00:01:36.168 both sides of the aisle, NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:36.170 --> 00:01:37.925 but the presence of Congresswoman NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:37.925 --> 00:01:39.329 Val Demings seemingly fizzled NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:39.329 --> 00:01:40.819 over the months to follow. NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:40.820 --> 00:01:42.434 Deming says it's a critical time NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:42.434 --> 00:01:44.470 in the House of Representatives. NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:44.470 --> 00:01:46.130 She's been doing her job NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:46.130 --> 00:01:47.458 in Congress raising funds, NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:47.460 --> 00:01:48.450 online ad, traveling NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:50.110 the state, meeting with people. NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:50.110 --> 00:01:52.816 Now, I didn't invite the media. NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:52.820 --> 00:01:55.004 But I have been meeting with NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:55.004 --> 00:01:56.460 people talking about things NOTE Confidence: 0.91498727 00:01:56.525 --> 00:01:58.280 that are important to them. NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:01:58.280 --> 00:02:00.458 The infrastructure law, the housing crisis, NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:00.460 --> 00:02:02.650 people's health and safety, all issues. NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:02.650 --> 00:02:04.440 This Florida State graduate has NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:04.440 --> 00:02:07.357 taken on as she takes on a well NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:07.357 --> 00:02:09.112 funded opponent serving in his NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:09.112 --> 00:02:11.379 second term in the Florida Senate. NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:11.380 --> 00:02:13.592 A group that has only seen one NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:13.592 --> 00:02:15.749 woman served the state Republican, NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:15.750 --> 00:02:17.570 Paula Hawkins, who lost reelection NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:17.570 --> 00:02:19.390 in 1988 if elected DEMMINGS, NOTE Confidence: 0.9247581 00:02:19.390 --> 00:02:21.938 would become the state's first black senator. NOTE Confidence: 0.94031045 00:02:21.940 --> 00:02:24.636 It's kind of sad. If it makes history, NOTE Confidence: 0.94031045 00:02:24.640 --> 00:02:26.928 it will be recorded in the history books, NOTE Confidence: 0.94031045 00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:28.939 but less work to serve the people. NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:31.550 --> 00:02:32.575 Keith Nelson reporting there. NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:32.575 --> 00:02:34.360 We also reached out to Senator Marco NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:34.404 --> 00:02:35.679 Rubio's team for an interview. NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:37.297 His team got back to us and NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:37.297 --> 00:02:38.774 said they would try to work NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:38.774 --> 00:02:40.226 that out soon to learn more NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:40.226 --> 00:02:41.868 about the upcoming Senate race. NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:41.870 --> 00:02:43.490 Check out are these stories NOTE Confidence: 0.93540406 00:02:43.490 --> 00:02:45.429 on our First Coast news app.