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Jerry Demings
Democratic · Governor, Florida
2026 General Election
Jerry Demings has served as Orange County Mayor since 2019 after winning by a wide margin. He previously served three terms as Orange County Sheriff from 2008 to 2019, having risen through the ranks of the Orlando Police Department where he served as chief. His law enforcement and public administration background has shaped a pragmatic, public-safety-focused brand of Democratic politics. He is seeking the Democratic nomination for Florida governor in 2026 as the party looks for a candidate who can compete in a state where Republicans have dominated recent statewide elections.
Views on the Issues
Gov. Demings’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
Jerry Demings
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.Jerry Demings
Demings supports workforce development, housing affordability initiatives, and targeted economic investment in Florida's communities. As Orange County Mayor he has focused on attracting high-wage jobs in technology and healthcare to diversify Florida's tourism-dependent economy. He supports raising the minimum wage and expanding workforce training programs aligned with the state's growing industries.Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.Jerry Demings
Demings supports Medicaid expansion in Florida, arguing it would cover more than a million uninsured Floridians and prevent further rural hospital closures. He backs protecting the Affordable Care Act and supports reproductive healthcare access, including reversing Florida's abortion restrictions. He has also prioritized mental health and substance abuse treatment as part of a public safety and healthcare integration approach.Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.Jerry Demings
Demings supports comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented residents and DACA recipients. As a law enforcement leader he has taken a pragmatic approach, arguing that separating immigration enforcement from community policing makes communities safer by encouraging immigrant residents to cooperate with local law enforcement.Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.Jerry Demings
Demings supports robust investment in Florida's public school system and opposes policies that divert funding from public schools through voucher programs. He backs increasing teacher pay, expanding pre-K access, and ensuring that Florida's public universities and colleges remain affordable and free from political interference in curriculum and research.Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.Jerry Demings
Drawing on more than three decades in law enforcement, Demings supports expanded background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on the most dangerous weapons. He has a nuanced approach shaped by his law enforcement experience, arguing that sensible gun safety measures are compatible with Second Amendment rights and that reducing gun violence requires both policy and community investment.Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Jerry Demings
Demings supports aggressive clean energy investment and climate adaptation for Florida, a state facing among the most severe climate risks in the nation including sea-level rise, intensifying hurricanes, and coral reef destruction. He backs accelerating Florida's solar energy capacity, strengthening building codes, and protecting Florida's natural environment as both a climate and economic imperative.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.Jerry Demings
Demings supports U.S. alliances and continued engagement abroad. As a governor candidate he engages foreign policy primarily through Florida's unique position — its substantial ties to Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Caribbean and Latin American diaspora communities make Florida's governor a significant voice in U.S. relations with the Western Hemisphere.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.Jerry Demings
Demings opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare, arguing these programs are essential to Florida's large retiree population. He supports protecting benefits and opposes raising the eligibility age, backing instead solvency solutions that do not reduce earned benefits for people who have paid into the system throughout their working lives.Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.Jerry Demings
Demings brings a law enforcement perspective to criminal justice, supporting both accountability for officers who abuse their authority and strong enforcement against violent crime. He supports community policing, violence intervention programs, and reentry services while opposing what he describes as anti-police rhetoric that undermines public safety. He backs reforms to the cash bail system for non-violent offenses.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.