Jerry Demings

Mayor, Orange County

Democrat

County

Since December 2018

⚡ Term Limited — Cannot Run Again

🔵 Unverified

Promise Score

81%

2 kept · 1 blocked · 1 partial

Voting Attendance

Pending

Not yet entered

✅

The Bottom Line

Strong Record — 81% Promise Score

81%

Out of 4 scored promises, Jerry Demings has 2 promises kept, 1 partial, 1 blocked. The documented record shows a strong pattern of following through on public commitments.

2 Kept 1 Partial 1 Blocked

◐

Make Orange County the Innovation Capital of Florida

Economy & Taxes

◐ Partial

The Promise

"My goal is to make Orange County the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow — a community culture of innovation, collaboration and inclusion."

News Source State of the County Address · orangecountyfl.net · 2023

The Record

Demings hired Orange County's first Chief Innovation and Emerging Technology Officer to drive technology adoption and smart-government initiatives. He has delivered annual State of the County addresses emphasizing regional innovation and economic growth. However, no single flagship innovation program or measurable 'Innovation Capital' benchmark has been publicly established. His service on the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Central Florida Expressway Authority, and Metroplan Orlando boards are largely ex-officio mayoral roles rather than innovation-specific accomplishments.

News Source Orange County official press releases · orangecountyfl.net · 2019–2023

⊘

Resist State Overreach on Local Immigration Policy

Government Reform

⊘ Blocked

The Promise

"I will not allow the state to bully Orange County or override the will of our residents on local policy matters."

News Source Florida Politics · August 2025

The Record

Demings initially refused to sign an expanded 287(g) agreement with ICE that would have granted Orange County corrections officers authority to assist in immigration enforcement transport. In August 2025, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened to remove Demings and the entire Orange County Commission from office under state law if they did not comply. Demings ultimately signed the agreement under what he publicly described as 'protest and extreme duress,' stating the threat left him no viable legal alternative.

News Source Florida Politics · August 2025 · Florida Phoenix · August 2025

✓

Lead Orange County Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Public Safety

✓ Kept

The Promise

"Our job is to protect the health and safety of every Orange County resident — that is non-negotiable."

Campaign Orange County press briefings · 2020 · Orlando Sentinel (Note: This was not a campaign promise but an in-office crisis commitment.)

The Record

Demings led Orange County's COVID-19 response beginning in March 2020, issuing stay-at-home orders, establishing county-run testing and vaccination sites, and coordinating public health directives for one of Florida's most populous counties (~1.4 million residents). His emergency orders were challenged but upheld by Florida's Division of Administrative Hearings, affirming his legal authority. Demings documented his pandemic leadership experience in his 2025 book 'Believe: Faith, Truth and the Courage to Lead.'

News Source Orange County COVID-19 press briefings · orangecountyfl.net · 2020–2021 · Florida Division of Administrative Hearings ruling · 2020

✓

Create Affordable Housing for Orange County Residents

Economy & Taxes

✓ Kept

The Promise

"We must address the affordable housing crisis and ensure working families can afford to live in the community where they work"

News Source Orange County Housing for All Task Force · 2019 · orangecountyfl.net

The Record

In 2019 Demings convened Orange County's first Housing for All Task Force. In 2020 he and the County Commission established the county's first Housing Trust Fund committing $160 million over 10 years to stimulate affordable and workforce housing construction through public-private partnerships.

News Source orangecountyfl.net · Orange County Mayor official biography · 2020

Promise Score Over Time

Month	Score	Entries	Change
May 2026	81%	4	—

Legislative record pending.

Jerry Demings is the Mayor of Orange County, Florida, serving since December 2018. A lifelong Central Florida public servant, Demings became Orlando's first Black Police Chief, the first Black Orange County Sheriff (elected 2008), and the first Black Orange County Mayor. He has been on the ballot seven times in his career and won every race. He is married to former U.S. Representative Val Demings, who represented Orlando in Congress for six years and was the 2022 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. In November 2025 Demings filed to run for Governor of Florida as a Democrat. If elected, he would be Florida's first African American governor. Campaign slogan: "I Believe Campaign." Endorsed by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Sheriff John Mina, and more than two dozen Central Florida officials.

Others from County Government

The Mayor of Orange County serves as the chief executive of one of Florida's largest and fastest-growing counties, encompassing Orlando and the surrounding tourism corridor. Orange County is home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and the Orlando International Airport — making it a major economic engine for the state. The Mayor oversees county government operations, the annual budget, public safety coordination, infrastructure development, and intergovernmental relations. As a candidate for Governor, Demings would oversee all of Florida state government if elected.

Donor information pending.

Office Phone

(407) 836-7370

Official Email

[email protected]

Office Address

Orange County Administration Building, 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801

ZIP Codes Served

32703, 32712, 32751, 32757, 32776, 32789, 32792, 32798, 32801, 32803, 32804, 32805, 32806, 32807, 32808, 32809, 32810, 32811, 32812, 32814, 32817, 32818, 32819, 32820, 32821, 32822, 32824, 32825, 32826, 32827, 32828, 32829, 32831, 32832, 32833, 32835, 32836, 32837, 32839, 32869, 34734, 34760, 34761, 34786, 34787