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Jerry Demings
American politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Jerry L. Demings (born June 12, 1959) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer serving as the fifth mayor of Orange County since 2018.[1] He is the first African American to hold the position.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as sheriff of Orange County from 2009 to 2018 and as chief of the Orlando Police Department from 1998 to 2002.
Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Demings graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1980.[3] After a brief career in accounting, he joined the Orlando Police Department in 1981 and was promoted through the ranks until his appointment as chief of police in 1998, becoming the first African American to hold the post. In 2008, Demings was elected Sheriff of Orange County and was the first African American elected countywide. His tenure coincided with the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub massacre; then the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since the September 11 attacks and the second deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2016.
Due to Florida's resign-to-run laws, Demings resigned as sheriff to run for county mayor in 2018, and won the August primary with 62 percent of the vote; avoiding the need for a runoff election. Demings became the first Democrat to be elected as Orange County mayor since Linda Chapin's re-election in 1994.[4] He was re-elected in 2022 with 61 percent of the vote.
Demings is married to First Lady Val Demings, a former U.S. representative and the 2022 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Florida.
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Early life and education
Demings was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, the youngest of five children, although he has a twin brother who is only minutes older.[5] His father was a taxi driver and his mother a maid.[6] One of his brothers died of a drug addiction related illness.[7] He graduated from Jones High School in Orlando and later attended Florida State University and Everest College, earning a bachelor's degree in finance and a master's degree in business administration.[8][7] He also has a certificate of completion from Harvard University's Kennedy School, FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute.[9][10]
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Career
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Demings worked as an accountant before beginning a career in law enforcement.[10] Demings joined the Orlando Police Department in 1981 after certification from the J. C. Stone Memorial Police Academy.[11] He worked in the department as Deputy Chief of the Investigative Services Bureau before he became its first African-American police chief in 1998,[12] serving until his retirement after 21 years with the department in 2002.[13][14][15] In 2002, he was named Director of Public Safety for Orange County, a position in which he served until 2008. In 2008, Demings ran as the Democratic candidate for Sheriff of Orange County, Florida, the chief law enforcement officer of the county. He defeated his Republican challenger John B. Tegg III,[16] and became the first African-American to serve in the post.[13][17] Demings was re-elected in 2012,[5] and again in 2016.[18] In July 2016, Demings was elected as president of the Florida Sheriffs' Association.[19]
When Demings was elected county sheriff in 2008, his wife, Val Demings, held his former job as Chief of the Orlando Police Department.[7][20] Demings' Republican opponent in the Sheriff's race, John Tegg, alleged that his election would create a conflict of interest.[19][7]
In April 2022, Demings spoke out against the repeal of the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, saying that the Florida legislature had not "adequately contemplated the ramifications" and said it would put an "undue burden" on taxpayers.[21][22]
After receiving pressure from Governor Ron DeSantis in August 2025, Demings signed an addendum allowing Orange County correctional officers to transport immigrant detainees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, including South Florida Detention Facility.[23][24]
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Personal life
Demings is married to former U.S. representative Val Demings, whom he met during his early years with the Orlando Police Department. He was a detective and she was a first-year police officer when they both worked a juvenile go-kart-accident case.[6][25] They married in 1988 and have three children along with five grandchildren.[6][26] His wife served as a captain in the police department while he was chief and later went on to become the first female police chief of the Orlando Police Department, serving from 2007 to 2011. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2016.[6]
References
External links
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