BREAKING NEWS: Marco Rubio BEATS Democrat Val Demings in major Florida Senate race
- Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio was able to fend off a challenge from Democratic Representative Val Demings for his Senate seat
- Demings was attempting to unseat Rubio and turn a Florida Senate seat blue
- Rubio was ahead of Demings by 1 million votes about an hour after most polls closed in the Sunshine State
Marco Rubio was able to defend his Senate seat for Florida from Democratic challenger Representative Val Demings.
Rubio was projected the winner by the Associated Press, CNN and Fox News with the incumbent ahead by a landslide with 83 percent of the vote reported.
As of 8:00 p.m., Rubio was ahead of Demings by around 1 million votes.
A swing state, Florida has become increasingly red in the last few years – but Demings said it was her mission to help flip the state blue.
Rubio consistently polled ahead of Demings by around 10 percent throughout the campaign.
The predicted 2022 midterm red tsunami hit Florida hard as Rubio’s projected reelection victory came shortly after incumbent GOP Governor Ron DeSantis was also projected to be the winner in his race against Republican-turned-Democrat former Governor Charlie Crist.
Senator Marco Rubio was able to fend off a challenge from Democratic Representative Val Demings’ attempt to unseat him and turn a Florida Senate seat blue. Pictured: Rubio speaks during a campaign rally in Hialeah, Florida on Monday, November 7
Demings was elected to the U.S. House in the 2016 elections to represent Florida’s 11th congressional district – she opted not to run for reelection and instead seek higher office in the Senate. Pictured: Representative Demings speaks to supporters at a rally Monday, November 7 in Wilton Manors, Florida
With a 50-50 split Senate, Republicans can’t afford to lose any seats – and need to pick up one more – if they want to win a majority in the upper chamber.
The race was never considered close or one of the ones to watch, with Cook Political Report labeling the state’s Senate race as ‘likely Republican’. But Demings made a formidable competitor in a state that went red for Donald Trump by 3.3 percent in 2020.
Demings was the chief of the Orlando Police Department from 2007-2011 and in the 2016 elections became a congresswoman for Florida’s 11th congressional district. She decided not to run for reelection to her seat in this year’s midterms, instead vying for a spot in the Senate.
In the 2020 presidential election, Demings was on the short-list to be President Joe Biden’s running mate – along with Susan Rice and eventual pick Kamala Harris.
Rubio has represented Florida in the U.S. Senate since 2011.
Before that, he was in the Florida House of Representatives starting in 2000 and was Speaker of the body from 2006-2008.