Background
Demings was one of seven children born to a poor family. Her father worked in orange groves, while her mother was a housekeeper.
Demings was one of seven children born to a poor family. Her father worked in orange groves, while her mother was a housekeeper.
She attended segregated schools in the 1960s, graduating from Wolfson High School in the 1970s. She graduated from Samuel West. Wolfson High School, and then attended Florida State University, graduating with a degree in criminology in 1979.
She served as Chief of the Orlando Police Department, the first woman to hold the position. She was the Democratic nominee in 2012 to represent Florida"s 10th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. They lived in Mandarin, a neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida.
Her desire for a career in law enforcement came when Demings served in the "school patrol" at Dupont Junior High School.
After graduating from college, Demings worked as a social worker in Jacksonville for 18 months. In 1983, she applied for a job with the Orlando Police Department (OPD), and she began with the department on patrol on Orlando"s west side.
Demings was appointed as Chief of the OPD in December 2007, becoming the first woman to lead the department. As Chief, she was credited with reducing violent crime in Orlando.
She retired from the position effective June 1, 2011, after serving with the OPD for 27 years.
Demings was the Democratic Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Florida"s 10th congressional district in the 2012 elections. Her attempt to unseat the incumbent, Republican Daniel Webster, was unsuccessful. Democrats attempted to recruit Demings to run against Webster again in 2014.
After considering her options, she decided to run for Mayor of Orange County, Florida, against Teresa Jacobs, instead.
Demings dropped out of the mayoral race on May 20, 2014. Demings will run for the United States House of Representatives seat in the 10th district held by Webster in the 2016 elections.
Her husband, Jerry Demings, is the Orange County Sheriff. Previously, he served as the Chief of the OPD, the first African American to do so, from 1999 through 2002.