Is Val Demings plotting to undo Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis’ disastrous legacy?

Is Val Demings preparing to mount a political comeback?

All signs point to… Maybe probably? We certainly hope so! 🤞🤞🤞

At the very least, the former congresswoman, who served as the U.S. representative from Florida’s 10th congressional district from 2017 to 2023, is keeping her foot firmly–very firmly–in the door for a potential return to the political arena after challenging Marco Rubio for his Senate seat last year. (Little Marco ended up beating Demings, but she sure gave him a run for his money!)

Related:

Marco Rubio was a puddle of sweat as Val Demings mopped the floor with him during last night’s debate

Marco Rubio and Val Demings faced off last night in the Florida Senate debate that literally ended with him wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Demings outraised Rubio by tens of millions of dollars, pulling in nearly $80 million in fundraising dollars compared to his nearly $50 million. And while she ultimately didn’t defeat the gay-hating incumbent at the ballot box, she did win over 3 million votes, despite his vile racist attacks against her.

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A post shared by Val Demings (@valdemings)

Since leaving office in January, Demings has been working as an executive fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C.–based think tank founded in 2007 to promote bipartisanship in government.

And now she’s hitting the college speaking circuit, beginning at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where she’ll be joined by former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri, 2011- 2023) for a discussion about “the state of chaos in Washington, D.C., examine the divisions in the House and Senate, and discuss strategies and countermeasures to reign in the disorder.”

The talk will happen Monday, December 4 and will be streamed online.

In addition to that, Demings has kept her campaign website alive and maintained an active presence on social media, where, as a private citizen, she regularly posts things that certainly sound like… a politician running for office.

Or, at the very least, like a former politician who wants people to remember what she stands for should she decide to run for office again in the future.

My father picked oranges. My mother cleaned houses. We didn't have much but we had access to the American dream. I want American workers, regardless of the job they do, to have that same chance.

— Val Demings (@valdemings) November 18, 2023

During times of crisis it is understandable to feel powerless. But history tells us the opposite: the power of the people is strongest during times of change.

— Val Demings (@valdemings) September 8, 2023

In any complicated political issue, you will always steer right if you aim towards justice, decency, and respect for every person.

— Val Demings (@valdemings) September 12, 2023

I lived the American Dream and I want today's children to live it also. We are not at the mercy of of those who would wish to destroy us. We can overcome every one of our challenges.

— Val Demings (@valdemings) October 30, 2023

So, what could be next for 66-year-old Demings?

Well, the most obvious move would be a run for Florida governor in 2026, when Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis’ term of terror finally–finally!–ends. So far, only two Democrats have publicly expressed interest in a possible gubernatorial bid: openly gay Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones and Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo.

Throughout her time in office, Demings was a fearless LGBTQ+ advocate.

In 2020, she introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to end the discriminatory ban against LGBTQ blood donors, calling the practice “archaic.”

In 2019, she co-sponsored the Equality Act, saying in a tweet, “Our past is so ugly in this area. We should all be trying to make it right. The #EqualityAct will protect #LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing, employment, education, and more.”

And in 2018, she gave a truly inspiring speech at the HRC’s annual Time to Thrive Youth Conference, where she took the room to church as she spoke about the importance of celebrating our authentic selves.

Since leaving office, she has become an outspoken critic of DeSantis and his anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, calling him “divisive” and “toxic” and accusing him of cozying up to bigots and white supremacists.

While Demings hasn’t indicated what her future plans might be, we just gotta say that a person who tweets stuff like this…

We should be coming together as Americans to tackle our challenges. I truly believe that we can.

— Val Demings (@valdemings) August 23, 2023

…obviously has some ideas in mind.

Related:

Can we please invite Val Demings to every Pride celebration from here on out?

Demings attended Orlando Pride on October 15. Yesterday, she tweeted a video from the happy, rainbow-filled day set to Beyoncé’s song “Cuff It”.