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UPDATE: Val Demings Drops Out of Orange County Mayoral Race


May 20, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando - Former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings has dropped out of the race for Orange County Mayor.

Political consultant to the campaign Kate Coyne-McCoy said the announcement comes after a robust fundraising quarter where she raised around $60,000. Challenger and incumbent Mayor Teresa Jacobs reported around $20,000 in contributions.

Despite the support, Coyne-McCoy said Demings felt this wasn’t the right race.

“She is very humbled and grateful for the support she received. She’s received support from every corner of the county. She’s just determined after careful consideration that it’s not the right race at this time,“ said Coyne-McCoy.

Jacobs outraised Demings by almost three to one overall in the race, but 90.7’s political commentator Dick Batchelor doesn’t think that fundraising was the only trouble for the campaign.

The election of Orange County Mayor is a non-partisan race -- meaning candidates’ political party affiliation isn’t published on the ballot.

Bachelor thinks that Orange County Democrats made the wrong decision when it came to campaigning for Demings and pushing political parties on the voters.

“I think the party made the decision that was wrong, in my opinion, by putting $50,000 into a race that was not partisan intending to make it partisan. When it comes to the Mayor’s race and local offices I think most people are non-partisan and prefer those races to be non-partisan,” said Batchelor.

Demings continues to explore other opportunities to help her community and said her commitment to Orange County "didn't begin with this campaign and certainly doesn't end with it," according to a press release from the campaign.

Bachelor doesn’t think that Deming’s political career is over, either. He says she would make a great running mate with gubernatorial challenger Charlie Crist.

 

 


 

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