WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Val Demings is planning to challenge Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, giving Democrats a boost in a competitive 2022 race that could decide control of the Senate, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.
Demings, who gained national recognition as a House prosecutor in former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, had been considering a run for governor in Florida. In considering a Senate campaign instead, she avoids what could be a divisive primary and gives Democrats a well-known name to compete in a state where elections are often decided by a narrow margin.
Her plans were first reported by Politico.