Third Law Enforcement Group Endorses Marco Rubio for Reelection Over Former Police Chief Val Demings

The Florida Police Benevolent Association offered its endorsement to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for his reelection, marking the third law enforcement group to choose him over his potential Democrat challenger, Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), a former police chief.

The Florida PBA, which includes 30,000 active duty law enforcement officers, offered its endorsement over the weekend, which the senator’s team considers a “testament” to Rubio’s support for the law enforcement community in the Senate. 

“The law enforcement community overwhelmingly supports Marco Rubio’s re-election. This is a complete rejection of the anti-law enforcement policies Val Demings has supported in her six years in Congress,” Rubio for Senate spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory said in a statement.

“Florida’s men and women in blue have seen Marco Rubio go to bat for them in the Senate, and know he is the only candidate in this race they can count on to ensure they have the resources they need and the respect they deserve,” she added.

Steadman Stahl, South Florida PBA President, said leaders like Rubio will “make this a better country.”

“This is a no-brainer,” he added.

Indeed, this marks the third law enforcement group that has endorsed Rubio over Demings, the latter of whom served as the chief of the Orlando Police Department from 2007-2011, ultimately serving in law enforcement for 27 years.

In Janaury, a bipartisan group of 55 sheriffs endorsed Rubio during a press conference in Jacksonville, Florida. In April, the 1000+ member Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) offered its endorsement as well. At the time, FPCA president and Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Department Director Stephan Dembinsky deemed Rubio a “consistent supporter of law enforcement in our nation’s capital, standing not just for public safety but for the health and welfare of law enforcement officers, even when it hasn’t been politically popular.”

Florida’s primary will take place August 23, 2022. It is likely that, in November’s election, Rubio will face off against Demings, who trails the incumbent by nine percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics.