Val Demings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Val Demings
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 10th district |
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| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Daniel Webster |
| Succeeded by | Maxwell Frost |
| Chief of the Orlando Police Department | |
| In office December 16, 2007 – June 1, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Michael McCoy |
| Succeeded by | Paul Rooney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Valdez Venita Butler
March 12, 1957 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Florida State University (BS) Webster University Orlando (MPA) |
| Police career | |
| Department | Orlando Police Department |
| Years of service | 1983–2011 |
| Rank | Chief |
Valdez Venita Demings (born March 12, 1957) is an American politician and a former police officer. She was a U.S. representative for Florida's 10th district from 2017 to 2023. This district covers much of Orlando and its western suburbs, like Apopka.
Before becoming a politician, Demings worked in law enforcement for 27 years. From 2007 to 2011, she was the first female chief of the Orlando Police Department. Her husband, Jerry Demings, became the County Mayor of Orange County, Florida, in 2018. This made her the "first lady" of Orange County.
In 2012, Demings ran for U.S. Representative but lost. She won the election in 2016 after the district boundaries were changed. In 2020, she was chosen to help lead the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. She was also considered as a possible running mate for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Instead of running for the House again, she ran for the U.S. Senate in Florida in 2022 but lost.
In July 2024, President Joe Biden nominated Demings to join the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Valdez Venita Butler was born on March 12, 1957. She was one of seven children in a family that didn't have much money. Her father worked as a janitor, and her mother was a maid. They lived in Jacksonville, Florida.
In the 1960s, she went to schools that were separated by race. She graduated from Wolfson High School in 1975. Demings became interested in police work after being part of the "school patrol" in junior high. She studied criminology at Florida State University and graduated in 1979. Later, in 1996, she earned a master's degree in public administration from Webster University Orlando.
Career in Law Enforcement
After college, Demings worked as a social worker in Jacksonville for about a year and a half. In 1983, she joined the Orlando Police Department (OPD). Her first job was patrolling Orlando's west side.
In 2007, Demings became the chief of the Orlando Police Department. She was the first woman to lead the department. During her time as chief, from 2007 to 2011, violent crime in Orlando went down by 40%.
Leading a police department can be challenging. In 2009, her police firearm was stolen from her car while it was parked at her home. She received a written warning for this incident. Demings retired from the OPD on June 1, 2011, after serving for 27 years.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
Demings first ran for the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 10th district in 2012. She lost to the Republican candidate, Daniel Webster.
In 2015, Demings announced she would run for the 10th district seat again. This time, the district's boundaries had been redrawn by a court order, making it more likely for a Democrat to win. She won the Democratic nomination in August 2016 and then the general election in November with 65% of the votes. She was the third Democrat to win this district since it was created in 1973.
In 2018, Demings ran for reelection and won without anyone running against her. In 2020, she was reelected for a third term.
Important Roles and Committees
Val Demings was sworn into office on January 3, 2017. She was a member of the New Democrat Coalition and the Congressional Black Caucus. These are groups of lawmakers who work together on shared goals.
She served on several important committees in the House of Representatives:
- Committee on Homeland Security: This committee deals with protecting the country from threats.
- Committee on the Judiciary: This committee handles laws related to the justice system and legal matters.
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: This committee oversees U.S. intelligence agencies.
2022 U.S. Senate Campaign
In June 2021, Demings announced she would run for the U.S. Senate in Florida in 2022. She challenged the Republican Senator, Marco Rubio, who was running for reelection. She lost to Senator Rubio in the election on November 8, 2022.
After Congress
On July 25, 2024, President Joe Biden chose Val Demings to be a member of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service. This board helps oversee the U.S. mail system.
Political Views
Civil Liberties
Demings received a 100% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for her work in the 117th Congress. This means she voted in ways that support individual rights and freedoms.
Climate and Environment
The League of Conservation Voters gave Demings a high rating (97%) for her votes on environmental issues from 2017 to 2021. This shows her support for protecting the environment.
Gun Policy
Demings believes in keeping firearms away from people who might use them to cause harm. She supports laws that would temporarily take guns from people considered a threat. She has said that these laws are not about taking guns from responsible, law-abiding citizens.
After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Demings spoke out against giving guns to teachers. She called the idea "ridiculous" and said it would put more responsibility on school staff. She has an "F" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund, which means the NRA does not support her views on gun policy.
Healthcare
Demings supports the Affordable Care Act, a law that helps people get health insurance. She has promised to protect this law. In 2019, she released a report criticizing drug makers for raising the prices of insulin, saying it was wrong for companies to profit so much when people needed the medicine to live.
Impeachments of President Donald Trump
On December 18, 2019, Demings voted to impeach President Donald Trump. She was then chosen as one of the seven House members who presented the case against Trump during his trial in the Senate. On January 13, 2021, she also voted for the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Personal Life
Val Demings is married to Jerry Demings, who is the mayor of Orange County, Florida. He was also a police chief for the Orlando Police Department before her, from 1999 to 2002. They met while working as police officers. They got married in 1988 and have three children.
Demings is a member of two organizations: The Links and the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Images for kids
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Val Demings's official portrait from the 115th Congress.
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Demings (far right) with other women from the Congressional Black Caucus in 2019.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of African-American United States Senate candidates
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
