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She's in the running to be Joe Biden's VP candidate!
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Jun 23, 2020
After much contention and speculation, it looks like Joe Biden is getting closer to pick his vice-presidential candidate. One potential candidate is Val Demings, a former law enforcement officer serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 10th congressional district since 2017. She's a native of Jacksonville, FL, and known for her tough stance on crime.
However, as interest in Val Demings grows, so too does interest in Demings' husband, who is also a former law enforcement officer-turned-politician.
Who is Val Demings' husband, Jerry Demings?
They met when they were both on the police force.
Jerry Demings first met Val Demings (who was known as Valdez Venita Butler when they first met) when they were both serving on the police force. Jerry was reported to be "the only cop [Val] ever dated," and in 1988, they got married.
He's the former chief of police of the Orange County Police Department.
From 1999 to 2002, Jerry Demings served as the chief of police of the Orange County Police Department. He was the first African-American to hold the position. When Jerry Demings was sworn in as the chief of police, Val Demings was serving as Orlando's police chief. Much ado was made about the fact that they were the rare married couple leading two law enforcement agencies in neighboring jurisdictions. Jerry Demings' Republican opponent, John Tegg, remarked that this would be a problem but ultimately, it didn't stop Jerry Demings from getting the job.
The couple has three children.
Shortly after they got married, the Demings' started having children. They have three children — including a set of twin boys — and five grandchildren. The entire Demings family — Jerry and Val, their three children, and their five grandchildren — live in the Orlando, FL, area.
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Jerry Demings chose a career in law enforcement for a sad reason.
When he was sworn in as the chief of police of the Orange County Police Department, he revealed that he wanted to be a police officer because his older brother died of a heroin overdose when he was younger. He said the tragic incident single-handedly influenced his career path.
He became mayor of Orange County in August 2018.
Jerry Demings traded in his cop uniform for a mayoral suit in August 2018, when he was elected to be mayor of Orange County, Florida. He won the election with more than 60% of the vote, and won against Commissioner Pete Clarke and businessman Rob Panepinto. He was sworn into office on August 28, 2018.
Jerry Demings is supportive of the possibility of his wife becoming Joe Biden's vice-presidential candidate.
“We’re really excited for Val and the opportunity she has to perhaps serve our nation at a different level. I think she’d do a fantastic job because of her commitment to the American people. She’s demonstrated she can operate on the big stage," Jerry Demings said of the possibility of Val Demings becoming Joe Biden's vice-presidential candidate. However, Jerry Demings made clear that he wasn't going to give up his post as mayor if, indeed, his wife succeeded in becoming the vice president of the United States.
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Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.