Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings' wife, former Congresswoman Val Demings, and other family members stood beside him Friday as he announced his prostate cancer diagnosis and the suspension of his campaign for governor. | Joe Byrnes, Central Florida Public Media
Published on June 5, 2026 at 5:21 pm
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Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announced Friday morning that he was suspending his campaign for governor.
Demings said he learned Monday that he has prostate cancer. He said he will focus instead on his health, on completing his term as mayor and on his family.
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“I’m going to focus on living,” he said. “I’m not going to focus on running for another office.”
Demings, a Democrat, has led Orange County for nearly eight years. He made the announcement in a press conference following his final State of the County address.
The speech itself was an upbeat account of his accomplishments as mayor since 2018. His tenure has focused on five “pillars,” he said — public safety, affordable housing, economic development, transportation and a caring community. And he led the county through the pandemic and Hurricane Ian.
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During the announcement, at the end of the news conference, many of Demings’ family members, including his wife, former congresswoman Val Demings, stood beside him, some with tears in their eyes.
“All those people who have supported me in this run, who have believed in me as I have run for governor, I say thank you to all of them,” Jerry Demings said. “My campaign was evolving to the point where we really could win the campaign. But if I have to come off the campaign trail, so that I can still do my job, still go to treatment. … I got to let something go, so we have been prayerful about the decision that I made.”
It was a difficult decision, he said.
“I had a wonderful career, 45-year career, where I have given 100%,” Demings said. “I have not been home during hurricanes, other emergencies, I’ve been out serving the people. My prayer was that I would continue to serve at a different level, but if I don’t take care of my own health, I won’t serve anybody.”
Earlier in his career in public service, Demings was Orlando’s first African American police chief and Orange County’s first African American sheriff.
Demings was among 11 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in the race for governor.
Campaign responses
Other candidates for governor expressed sympathy for Demings immediately after the announcement.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fort Myers, wrote on X: “Erika and I are praying for Jerry and Val. May the Lord watch over the Demings family, provide them with strength and comfort, and bless Jerry with a swift recovery.”
Former congressman David Jolly, a top Democrat in the race, said in a statement that Demings “has dedicated his life to public service, fighting with passion, mettle, and faith. I know he’ll bring that same spirit to this new chapter. Laura and I wish him a full recovery as we personally pray for Jerry and his family.”
James Fishback, a former investor who is running for governor as a Republican, wrote on X: “Valeria and I are saddened to hear about Mayor Demings’ cancer diagnosis. We will be keeping him in our prayers throughout his treatment. I last saw Jerry backstage at an event in Orlando in January, and while we may not see eye to eye on everything, he is a good man who has served his community since 1981.”
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried wrote in an email: “Mayor Demings has served Orange County with commitment and compassion for decades, and the FDP stands with him in prayer and support as he battles against prostate cancer.
“Jerry is the true definition of a public servant and fierce fighter,” Fried added. “I will continue to lift him, Val, and the entire Demings family up in prayer as they face this chapter like they have each one before it–with strength, grace, and unrelenting determination.”
A crowded field
Since filing as a candidate for governor at the end of October, Demings had raised the third most money in the race out of all candidates through the end of the most recent reporting period on March 31.
Between his campaign and his committee, Moving Florida Forward, Demings raised just over $658,000 in the five months captured by state records. Jolly, who filed almost exactly one year ago, raised $4.9 million when including funding from his committee, Florida 2026.
Fundraising for Donalds dwarfs both their sums. His campaign raised $7.1 million through that same period, but his Friends of Byron Donalds political action committee raised a gargantuan $60.5 million. He’s raised even more in the following months, his campaign reported this week.
Recent polling has shown that Jolly could still be competitive with Donalds in a hypothetical matchup.
Despite his campaign’s comparatively late entry, Demings had accrued endorsements reflecting his long tenure in Central Florida, including from former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth; U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, who has represented South Orlando and Osceola County for nearly a decade; three state senators and eight state House representatives; Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer; and numerous city and county commissioners from across the region.
With Demings out, that still leaves a staggering 47 candidates in the race as of Friday.
Other than Demings, just five of those candidates had raised at least six figures in campaign funding through March. The other candidates are former investor James Fishback, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.
Leftover money
According to the state, candidates can do any combination of the following with leftover campaign funds:
- Return it to each contributor proportional to the amount they gave
- Donate it to one or more 501(c)(3) nonprofits or charities
- Deposit it into the state General Fund (for state candidates)
- Give up to $25,000 of it to their party or affiliated party political committee.
Demings’ main campaign as of April 1 had about $190,000 in unspent money. His campaign and committee treasurers did not respond to inquiries as of Friday afternoon.
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