Politico: Marco Rubio gets a big name Dem challenger for 2022 Senate race

Politico is reporting that Rep. Val Demings will challenge Sen. Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate in 2022:

After weighing whether to run for governor or senate, Rep. Val Demings decided to challenge Marco Rubiohttps://t.co/QHlEEmswK9

— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) May 18, 2021

From Politico:

Rep. Val Demings will take on Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022 https://t.co/YKL2BtLap6 pic.twitter.com/NRo341RFH2

— The Recount (@therecount) May 18, 2021

Demings, the former police chief of the Orland Police Department, was reportedly on Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president in 2020:

I am a descendant of slaves, who knew that they would not make it, but dreamed and prayed that one day I would make it.

So despite America's complicated history, my faith is in the Constitution.

I've enforced the laws, and now I write the laws. Nobody is above the law. pic.twitter.com/hzS9BkfOLp

— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) December 12, 2019

NBC News confirmed Politico’s scoop:

.@NBCNews confirms the Politico report that Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., plans to run for Florida’s Senate seat that’s currently held by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who’s up for re-election in 2022 — @mmurraypolitics

— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) May 18, 2021

Demings will likely face Rep. Stephanie Murphy in the Dem primary:

Another epic Senate D primary clash: Rep. Val Demings running for Senate (not governor), set to face Rep. Stephanie Murphy in primary — for nomination against Sen. Marco Rubio. #FLSEN https://t.co/gTK2l0oB6e

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) May 18, 2021

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But this also means that the Dem gubernatorial race in 2022 is now between Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Nikkie Fried:

Which means she’s not running for governor

That leaves Dem gubernatorial primary of Fried v Crist (for now)https://t.co/B905BAQicL via @MarcACaputo

— Matt Dixon (@Mdixon55) May 18, 2021

And this means she thought Rubio would be easier to defeat than DeSantis:

The news about Val Demings choosing to run against Rubio when a lot of chatter over the last month was about a possible challenge to DeSantis is revealing. With his recent job approval at 55%, Demings decided she had a better shot in a Senate race — and a long one at that.

— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) May 18, 2021

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