Val Demings won’t predict margin of victory Tuesday night

Val Demings continues to pitch donors as storm bears down. Image via A.G. Gancarski

Many Primaries will not be decided until deep into the vote count Tuesday, but the Democratic U.S. Senate Primary is not one of them.

From start to finish, Orlando U.S. Rep. Val Demings has been in control of that contest, one characterized by a lack of serious opposition, with three opponents emerging in the end: Ricardo de la Fuente, Brian Rush and William Sanchez.

Sanchez has been the strongest fundraiser of the three, raising north of a quarter-million dollars. Rush is a former state Representative, while de la Fuente is the second generation of a family known for running all over the country for federal offices. His father, Rocky, actually got double digits in the GOP Senate Primary against Rick Scott four years ago.

Demings isn’t expected to be seriously challenged. But the presence of alternatives on the ballot suggests a potential protest vote similar to that Scott drew from the senior De La Fuente in his Senate campaign of 2018. What that vote might be she wouldn’t predict Monday in Jacksonville, however.

“The voters will decide that. I think that’s an interesting question. What I’m looking for is a win,” she added, before changing the subject to sports then religious imagery.

“It’s kind of like the Super Bowl,” she explained. “You can lose the Super Bowl by a field goal, right? Pretty close! But doggone it, one is the Super Bowl champs and one is not.”

“So whatever God, whatever margin God gives me is the one that is supposed to happen, and the one I will use as a springboard to the General Election,” Demings added.

Demings, who grew up in Jacksonville, campaigned at a Southside barbershop Monday when she made the comments. That was her first of three local stops, and the swing will conclude with a homecoming rally in the evening in Downtown Jacksonville.