TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Primary elections in Florida have finished, following the end of early voting and election day balloting on Tuesday. Both of Florida’s U.S. Senate candidates are expected in Tampa, working to attract voters to their side in the lead up to the November midterm elections.
Incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio will face U.S. Rep. Val Demings (FL-D10) for one of the state’s two federal senate seats.
Rubio has served in the U.S. Senate since 2011, following time in office as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Demings, a former police chief with more than 20 years as a member of law enforcement, has served in her role as a U.S. Congresswoman since 2017.
Some recent polling conducted by the University of North Florida showed Demings with a slightly higher percentage of potential voters in a survey conducted in early August. Demings took 48% of the surveyed registered voters, while Rubio took 44%.
While the state of Florida leans Republican, the race between Demings and Rubio has been described as competitive, as political issues ranging from abortion rights to inflation heat up the election.
Following Demings’ primary win, Rubio announced he’d be in Tampa alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis, also up for reelection, for a “Keep Florida Free” campaign stop. Demings will kick off a “Running to Win” bus tour from Tampa as well.
