Jockeying for top Orange County jobs starts
Vanessa Smith remembers going to football games with Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings 40 years ago, when they were teens at Evans High School.
They’ve remained close friends since those nights at the Pine Hills school. Smith, 58, was one of dozens who crowded outside the Orange County Administration building Friday afternoon to hear her friend announce that he was running for county mayor.
Demings laid out more details on his bid for mayor after officially filing Thursday. He presented a three-point platform centered on public safety, smart growth and community bonding.
“He has a track record of giving back to this community,” Smith said. “He has integrity, he’s a fam-
ily man and he’s a man of his word. There’s only so much you can do as Sheriff, this next step is needed.”
If elected, Demings would be the first black mayor of Orange County. He would replace Mayor Teresa Jacobs, who is termlimited and cannot run again.
Demings, who was flanked by his family, friends and other elected officials in Orlando and Orange County, said it was a tough decision to leave law enforcement, an area he’s worked in for decades.
“I am prepared to make the sacrifice to continue making a difference in this lives of all people in the community where I was born and raised,” he said. “I am simply seeking to do so at another level.”
He served as the Orlando Police Department’s first black police chief in 1998. He also served as Orange County’s Director of Public Safety before being elected sheriff in 2008.
Per state law, he would have to resign his position as sheriff, which would go into effect Dec. 4, 2018, the day the new mayor would be sworn in.
Other potential candidates include Property Appraiser Rick Singh, School Board Chairman Bill Sublette, former County Mayor Rich Crotty and former Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner.
They have not yet filed to run with the elections office.
Meanwhile, the jockeying among Demings’ potential replacements is well under way.
Danny Banks, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Orlando Special Agent in Charge, announced his “potential” run Friday.
“As a native of Central Florida and a dedicated law enforcement professional, I believe we are at an important time in public safety, and the next election is critical,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to exploring more about a potential run for sheriff and talking to citizens about their concerns in the coming months.”
Orlando police Chief John Mina and retired Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Paul “Spike” Hopkins also are considering runs.
Mina said Friday there was “no official announcement yet.”
Demings declined to say whether he favored any of the candidates but said he’s spoken with several potential candidates. He said it’s too early to endorse anyone.
Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor with the University of Central Florida who studies local politics, predicted Demings would be one of the favorites in the county mayor election.
“He has name recognition and a good reputation,” he said.
The others, particularly those still holding countywide offices, are also strong competitors, Jewett said.
The mayoral race could create openings throughout politics and law enforcement.
“We could see a lot of familiar faces in new positions,” he said.
Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph, who was once considered a candidate, withdrew his name Friday and is supporting Demings.
“He’s a strong leader with a track record of working with Republicans and Democrats to better the lives of Orange County residents, and he’ll make a fantastic mayor,” he said in a statement. “I’m all in for Jerry.”
Candidates can enter the race until June 2018.
Demings said as part of his campaign announcement that he plans to help raise wages for first responders and improve their equipment and facilities.
He also flaunted his track record of handling crises, including the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub last year.
Demings said there needs to be more safeguards in place to protect the environment and touched on plans to revitalize areas of the county that have become run down. Planning to work with schools and community organizations, he said he hopes to start more programs to help kids, the elderly and those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.
“We should be working to fill our playgrounds and not our prisons,” he said.
The election will be in August 2018. If no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote, there would be a runoff in November.