Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings

says he’s considering a run for Orange County mayor in 2018.

County Sheriff Jerry Demings says he’s strongly considering a run for Orange County mayor in 2018, a move that could further swell the already sizable number of possible candidates.

A Demings candidacy would also create a domino effect by triggering his resignation as sheriff and a special election.

Potential candidates for sheriff are already lining up.

“There are a number of citizens here in Orange County who are strongly encouraging me to run for Orange County mayor in 2018,” he told the Orlando Sentinel. “And I am humbled by the thought and support from the people of Orange County. Consequently, I am seriously considering a run for Orange County mayor.”

He said he would probably decide within the next four weeks. Qualifying for the nonpartisan August 2018 election is still more than a year away.

Demings, who would be the first African-American Orange County mayor if he were to win, became Orlando’s first black police chief in 1998. He also served as Orange County’s Director of Public Safety before being elected sheriff in 2008.

Demings’ wife, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Orlando, considered running for Orange County mayor in 2014 before opting out of a race against Republican Mayor Teresa Jacobs, who ended up running for re-election virtually opposed. Jacobs is term-limited and cannot run again.

For 2018, Jerry Demings becomes the third prominent Democrat to consider a run, joining Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph and Property Appraiser Rick Singh.

On the Republican side, Orange County School Board Chairman Bill Sublette has said he is a candidate, while former Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty and former state Senate President Andy Gardiner are also possibilities.

Democrats have not held the position since Linda Chapin’s two terms in the 1990s, despite the 120,000-voter advantage Democrats hold over Republicans in the county.

“With the number of Democrats in the county, it’s the Democrats’ race to lose,” said Doug Head, state committeeman for the Orange County Democratic Party.

Randolph, however, said he “would definitely not run” if Demings formally announced his candidacy, citing the importance of Democrats uniting behind a strong candidate and not splitting the vote.

If no one wins 50 percent-plusone of the vote in August, a runoff would be held in November.

“If Jerry jumps in, I would be very supportive of that,” Randolph said. “He has a great record over his years of law enforcement.”

According to Florida law, Demings would need to resign before qualifying to run for another position.

“I love the job I have as Orange County sheriff,” he said. “Quite frankly, I have mixed emotions about running for mayor and leaving my job as sheriff. It would not be a decision I made lightly.”

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said Demings has until June 2018 to formally tender his resignation, which would be effective Dec. 4, 2018, the day he would either be sworn in as mayor or leave office as sheriff after losing the mayor’s race.

Once he tenders his resignaOrange tion, which would be irrevocable, a special primary and election would be scheduled for August and November 2018 to fill the remaining two years of his term, Cowles said.

An ongoing lawsuit between Demings, other constitutional officers and the county would determine if the election would be partisan or nonpartisan.

Potential candidates for sheriff were already announcing their intentions.

Danny Banks, Special Agent in Charge at Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said Friday that “should Jerry Demings, on his own accord, elect to move on to greater and better things, I would absolutely be interested in pursuing that role” of sheriff as a Democrat.

Republican Paul “Spike” Hopkins, who lost to Demings in 2016, said “there is a high probability” he would run again, though he has yet to make a final decision.