Democratic Rep. Val Demings of Florida plans to run for the U.S. Senate in a bid to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is up for reelection in 2022, Politico and NBC News\u00a0first reported Tuesday.<\/p>\n
An adviser to Demings confirmed to HuffPost that she is planning a Senate bid and would make a formal announcement shortly.<\/p>\n
Demings, 64, had been weighing whether to enter the state\u2019s gubernatorial race, but ultimately decided she could be most effective in the Senate, Politico reported, citing Democrats who are familiar with her thinking.<\/p>\n
The congresswoman told MSNBC last month that she was \u201cseriously considering\u201d jumping into a race but wouldn\u2019t say whether she was seeking the governorship or a seat in the Senate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have received calls and texts and messages from people all over the sate asking me to run because they feel that they are not represented and their voices are not heard,\u201d Demings said at the time. \u201cAnd I believe that every Floridian deserves to have representation regardless of the color their skin, where they live, how much money they have in the bank, their sexual orientation or their religion.\u201d<\/p>\n
A representative for Demings did not immediately respond to HuffPost\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n
Democrats have been angling for a way to win over Rubio\u2019s seat, but have struggled to find someone they think could take on the two-term senator.<\/p>\n
Demings was first elected to the House in 2016 to represent Florida\u2019s 10th Congressional District, which includes a large portion of Orlando. She was previously the city\u2019s chief of police \u2015 the first Black woman to hold that position. She gained national attention last year for her role in then-President Donald Trump\u2019s first impeachment trial, in which she served on the House panel that charged him with misconduct.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida, who was once governor of the state, became the first Democrat to announce a bid against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022.<\/p>\n