U.S. Sen. Rubio's First TV Campaign Ad Calls Rep. Demings ‘Another Radical Rubberstamp' In Congress

Florida Phoenix

July 19, 2022

With law-and-order a key issue in Florida’s U.S. Senate race, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday released his first television advertisement for his reelection campaign, showcasing law enforcement officers in support of his candidacy.

The 30-second ad claims that his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, has failed to support law enforcement, despite Demings’ long-term career as a police officer and a former police chief in Orlando.

The ad begins with Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith of North Florida claiming that “Val Demings turned her back on law enforcement.” Smith called Demings “another radical rubberstamp” in Washington.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, in Central Florida on the Atlantic coast, said in the ad: “Demings votes with (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi 100 percent of the time.”

Rubio, a former Florida House Speaker seeking a third term in the Senate, has been touting his endorsements from 55 sheriffs who are mostly Republican, and other police groups.

The Rubio campaign ad is sponsored by the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee), a national organization “solely devoted to strengthening the Republican Senate Majority and electing Republicans to the United States Senate.”

In response to the Rubio campaign ad, Demings said in a written statement Tuesday:

“I spent twenty-seven years protecting and serving Florida, fighting to make sure we are all safer. Not one day has gone by since becoming a law enforcement officer that I do not think about the men and women who continue to do this tough job and I will continue to work to make sure they have the resources they need to survive and keep communities safe.”

In 2007, Demings made history when she was appointed to serve as Orlando’s first female police chief, according to her U.S. House bio.

Both candidates have been releasing campaign videos and ads attacking one another on various issues, such as abortion and law enforcement. Demings launched her first TV campaign ad in June, touching on her long career in law enforcement.

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