U.S. Rep. Val Demings
There’s no GOP contender in this congressional race
says the biggest difference between her and District 10 Democratic primary opponent Wade Darius is her congressional experience.
U.S. Rep. Val Demings has no Republican opponent in her race for re-election, but she has a Democratic primary opponent in financier Wade Darius.
In a quirk of Florida elections laws, all registered voters and not just Democrats can vote in the Aug. 28 primary because Demings and Darius are the only candidates in the race and the primary will determine the election. District 10 includes much of western Orange County, including downtown Orlando, Winter Garden, Ocoee, Apopka and Windermere.
Who they are
Wade Darius, 37, of Auburndale, in Polk County, president of T.D. Homes Marketing Group.
Val Demings, 61, of Orlando, is a first-term U.S. Representative and a former police chief of Orlando.
Where they stand
Darius said he wanted a path to citizenship for Dreamers, adults brought into the country illegally as children, as well as a path to permanent residency for those without temporary protected status. He also called for “Medicare for All … as soon as possible,” and said, “we need to enforce community policing and put an end to police brutality and mass incarceration.”
On gun reform, Darius said both parties “must work together on gun reform while protecting the Second Amendment.”
Saying, “the next recession is just a few months away,” he said District 10 “deserves someone in Congress with expert knowledge of the financial industry.” His plan calls for protecting retirement assets with automatic intervention “to prevent foreclosures and promote loan modification, forbearance, and other options.”
Demings said the most common thing she hears from constituents “is the importance of feeling safe in our neighborhoods.”
“Safe neighborhoods are
foundational to our citizens’ ability to pursue the American Dream,” she said. “This means we need to enact common-sense gun safety legislation, secure Homeland Security funding and properly staff our ports of entry.”
She also said she’d fight to protect the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. “I am committed to lowering insurance and prescription drug costs, while making preventative care more
available and protecting Medicare,” Demings said. “In Congress I will continue to stand up to radical Republicans who are bent on destroying the progress we have made under President Obama.”
Where they differ
While residency hasn’t been as much of an issue in this race as it has for others, Darius lives outside the district, in Polk County. Unlike state legislators, congresspeople aren’t legally required to live in their districts. His campaign described the situation as, “He sleeps
in Auburndale and wakes up in Orlando where his business, clientele, family, and his foundation are at.”
Darius attacked Demings as “a career law enforcement official with a history of poor decision making, especially when it comes to police brutality [and] mass incarceration. … Someone whose decisions are heavily influenced by big money. … Unlike my opponent, I do not take money from influential corporations [and] PACs.” He’s raised about $36,000 for his campaign compared to Demings’ $618,000.
Demings said the biggest difference between herself and Darius “is my track record of standing up for Central Floridians, both in and out of Congress.”
“On-the-ground experience as a social worker, career law enforcement officer, and chief of police makes me uniquely qualified to serve as a lawmaker,” she said. “As a member of Congress, I have the opportunity to legislate based on that experience and perspective.”