Jerry Demings

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Jerry Demings

|image = File:Official portrait of Mayor Jerry Demings, 2025.jpg

|caption = Official portrait, 2025

|office = 5th Mayor of Orange County

|term_start = December 4, 2018

|term_end =

|predecessor = Teresa Jacobs

|successor =

|office1 = 28th Sheriff of Orange County

|term_start1 = January 6, 2009

|term_end1 = December 4, 2018

|predecessor1 = Kevin Beary

|successor1 = John Mina

|office2 = Chief of the Orlando Police Department

|term_start2 = 1998

|term_end2 = 2002

|2blankname2 = {{nowrap|Mayor}}

|2namedata2 = Glenda Hood

|predecessor2 = Bill Kennedy

|successor2 = Michael McCoy

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|6|12}}

|birth_place = Orlando, Florida, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|spouse = {{marriage|Val Butler|1988}}

|children = 3

|education = Florida State University (BS)
Everest College (MBA)

}}

Jerry L. Demings (born June 12, 1959) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer serving as the 5th Mayor of Orange County since 2018.{{cite news |last=Peters |first=Xander |publisher=Orlando Weekly |title=Jerry Demings officially becomes Orange County's first African American mayor |date=December 4, 2018 |accessdate=December 5, 2018 |url=https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/12/04/jerry-demings-officially-becomes-orange-countys-first-african-american-mayor}} He is the first African American to hold the position.{{cite news |last=Peters |first=Xander |publisher=Orlando Weekly |title=Sheriff Jerry Demings wins Orange County mayoral race |date=August 28, 2018 |accessdate=August 28, 2018 |url=https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/08/28/sheriff-jerry-demings-wins-orange-county-mayoral-race}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.ocso.com/Portals/0/Sheriff's%20Bio%20for%20Website.doc |title=Sheriff Jerry L. Demings |publisher=Orange County Sheriff's Office |access-date=February 12, 2025 }} After a brief career in accounting, he joined the Orlando Police Department in 1981 and worked as a detective 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, the first African American elected countywide. His tenure occurred during the 2016 Orlando nightclub massacre; 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 stepped down as sheriff to run for county mayor in 2018; winning the August primary outright and avoiding a run-off election. The first Democrat elected mayor of Orange County, he was re-elected to a second term in 2022 with over 60% 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.

Early life and education

Demings was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, the youngest of five children.{{cite web|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-28/news/os-sheriff-primary-election-orange-20120728_1_violent-crime-john-tegg-budget|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017092103/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-28/news/os-sheriff-primary-election-orange-20120728_1_violent-crime-john-tegg-budget|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 17, 2015|title=Orange sheriff candidate primary: Orange Sheriff Jerry Demings will face ex-NYPD cop Yanti|publisher=Orlando Sentinel}} His father was a taxi driver and his mother a homemaker. One of his brothers died of a drug addiction related illness. 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.flsheriffs.org/sheriffs/bio/orange-county|title=Orange County Sheriff Bio|publisher=}} He also has a certificate of completion from Harvard University's Kennedy School, FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute.{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-orange-county-sheriff-jerry-demings-20160920-story.html|title=Orange County Sheriff - Jerry L. Demings|publisher=Orlando Sentinel}}

Career

Demings worked as an accountant before beginning a career in law enforcement.{{cite news|last1=Heflin|first1=Devin|title=Jerry Demings, The People's Sheriff|url=http://www.orlando-times.com/demings_414.html|accessdate=November 2, 2017|publisher=The Orlando Times}}

Demings joined the Orlando Police Department in 1981 after certification from the J. C. Stone Memorial Police Academy.{{cite web|url=http://westorlandonews.com/election-2008-about-candidate-jerry-demings-running-for-orange-county-sheriff/|title=ELECTION 2008: About Candidate Jerry Demings, Running for Orange County Sheriff|date=August 23, 2008|publisher=}} He worked in the department as a detective before he became its first African-American chief in 1998,{{cite news|last1=Tracy|first1=Dan|title=How the Past Will Shape the Future|publisher=Orlando Sentinel|date=December 27, 1998|id={{ProQuest|279271544}}}} serving until his retirement after 21 years with the department in 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28841683|title=Married cops to head next-door agencies|website=NBC News|date=January 25, 2009|publisher=}}{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/238948659/ |title=9 Dec 1998, Page 42 - South Florida Sun Sentinel at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=1998-12-09 |accessdate=2022-06-05}}{{cite web |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2002-08-12-0208120185-story.html |title=Orlando Police Chief Jerry Demings is Leaving|date=August 12, 2002 }} 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,{{Cite web |url=http://www.floridastatefop.org/pdf_files/2008sheriffGENERALELECTIONRESULTS.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=November 10, 2016 |archive-date=March 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331185324/http://www.floridastatefop.org/pdf_files/2008sheriffGENERALELECTIONRESULTS.pdf |url-status=dead }} and became the first African-American to serve in the post.{{cite news|title=First Black Student at FSU Honored|url=http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/67835097.html?site=mobile|accessdate=November 2, 2017|publisher=WCTV|date=October 30, 2009}} Demings was re-elected in 2012, and again in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-election-orange-sheriff-20161107-story.html|title=Orange County Sheriff's race: Incumbent Demings defeats Hopkins|publisher=Orlando Sentinel |last1=Doornbos |first1=Caitlin }} In July 2016, Demings was elected as president of the Florida Sheriffs' Association.{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-demings-state-sheriffs-association-20160713-story.html|title=Demings elected first black president of sheriffs group|date=July 13, 2016 |publisher=Orlando Sentinel}}

When Demings was elected county sheriff in 2008, his wife, Val Demings, held his former job as Chief of the Orlando Police Department.{{cite news|last1=Prieto|first1=Bianca|title=Chief, sheriff share crime-fighting plans|publisher=Orlando Sentinel|date=January 15, 2009|id={{ProQuest|284236601}}}} Demings' Republican opponent in the Sheriff's race, John Tegg, alleged that his election would create a conflict of interest.{{cite news|last1=Schneider|first1=Mike|title=The Nation|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jan-25-adna-badge25-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 25, 2009|id={{ProQuest|422282631}}}}

File:Jerry_Demings.jpg

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-legislature-votes-strip-disney-self-government/7MWMCWBCA5DXZG4IBIWYUEALCQ/|title='Political retribution': Demings denounces decision to strip Disney's self-governing power|website=WFTV-6|access-date=April 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421232653/https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-legislature-votes-strip-disney-self-government/7MWMCWBCA5DXZG4IBIWYUEALCQ/|archive-date=April 21, 2022|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Rozsa|first1=Lori|last2=Craig|first2=Tim|last3=Sampson|first3=Hannah|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/04/21/florida-legislature-passes-bill-repealing-disneys-special-tax-status/|title=Florida legislature passes bill repealing Disney special tax status|newspaper=Washington Post|date=April 21, 2022|access-date=April 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421171544/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/04/21/florida-legislature-passes-bill-repealing-disneys-special-tax-status/|archive-date=April 21, 2022|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite news|last1=Lesner|first1=Jim|title=Val Demings takes over as Orlando's police chief Monday|publisher=McClatchy - Tribune Business News|date=December 17, 2017|id={{ProQuest|463291974}}}} They married in 1988 and have three children along with five grandchildren.{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2007/12/16/citys-new-top-gun/|title=Val Demings takes over as Orlando's police chief Monday|publisher=Orlando Sentinel|date=December 16, 2007|access-date=October 4, 2012|archive-date=January 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107185849/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2007-12-16/news/Val16_1_val-demings-orlando-police-chief-jerry-demings|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/signature-magazine/community/os-osig-jerry-and-val-demings-20160125-story.html|title=Jerry and Val Demings|website=Orlando Sentinel |last1=Candelaria |first1=Michael }}