Congress District 10: Val Demings seeks third term, faces Vennia Francois

Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings is campaigning for a third term to serve Florida’s Congressional House District 10, facing Republican primary winner Vennia Francois.

Demings, who rose to national prominence as an impeachment manager against President Donald Trump then as a potential running mate for Joe Biden, is being challenged by Francois, a lawyer who initially sought the District 7 seat but switched her candidacy before the August primary.

Francois is Demings' first Republican opponent in four years. She was re-elected unopposed in 2018.

The heavily Democratic district in western Orange County includes largely African American neighborhoods in Pine Hills, Eatonville and South Apopka as well as wealthy suburbs such as Dr Phillips and Windermere. It also covers portions of Lake and Polk counties.

Who they are

Before she entered congressional politics, Demings, 63, made history as Orlando’s first female police chief. Her sophomore term included an integral role as House manager during the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of Trump.

Demings was a member of both the House Intelligence Committee that investigated the Ukraine scandal and the Judiciary Committee that passed articles of impeachment against the president.

She is married to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.

Francois, 46, of Orlando, was a policy advisor to former U.S. Senator Mel Martinez and an intern for U.S. Representative John Mica. She volunteered her legal services to the 2012 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney and was a member of former Gov. Jeb Bush’s African American coalition.

As an attorney for Lockheed Martin, she was assigned to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where she worked in the enforcement division.

Francois is a first generation American after her parents immigrated to the United States from the Bahamas.

Where they stand

Demings said she believes the COVID-ravaged economy will not recover until the virus spread is under control.

Meanwhile, she touted the passage of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act that provided financial relief through stimulus checks, loans and funding to state and local governments.

But the economic package was plagued with issues like the roll out of the Payroll Protection Program, intended to prevent layoffs at small businesses, and the distribution of $1,200 stimulus checks, which not all Americans qualified for.

Demings acknowledged there were “bumps in the road" and not “enough safeguards” in the PPP eligibility requirements, which caused funds to quickly dry up and be taken by large companies.

“I think in our efforts to just get some [help] out there -- which I do believe was the right thing to do -- I think we just thought we had put these parameters in place and corporations and businesses would just play by the rules," Demings told the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board.

A follow-up package, the HEROES Act, has not been voted on by the Republican-controlled Senate, which Demings called “her biggest disappointment” that Congress can’t put aside partisanship to provide further emergency relief funds.

Francois did not respond to interview requests for this story and declined to speak this month with the Editorial Board.

In July, she told the Sentinel that school choice, immigration and human trafficking are some of the biggest issues she hears about when talking to supporters.

But job security is at the forefront of people’s minds, Francois said.

“We’re seeing a lot of people being hurt, families struggling just to make it on a daily basis," she said.

On her website, she wrote that she believes the number of federal government regulations on businesses needs to be reduced to encourage more job creation and economic growth.

“I support annual congressional review of these rules to stop agencies from seizing more power than they are legally granted by Congress and our Constitution,” she said.

How they differ

Demings is not only an established figure in Central Florida but her national profile was elevated during the impeachment trials and as a potential vice presidential candidate.

“The impeachment trial for me was about upholding the Constitution," she said. "Upholding the rule of law…and then protecting our most precious system of government -- our democracy.”

Francois has said her experiences aiding legislators prepared her for a role in Congress.

“I worked on Capitol Hill for a number of years,” she said. “So I understand D.C. inside and out, and I am ready to roll up my sleeves on day one to get the job done.”

With the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a push by Senate Republicans to quickly vote on a nominee selected by Trump, Demings said she shares concerns with abortion rights advocates that women’s health choices are threatened.

“Here we find ourselves -- just like there was a very aggressive, personal effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act with nothing to replace it -- there is an initiative to overturn established law already decided by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade,” she said. “I believe that all women should be in charge of their own bodies.”

Francois said she will oppose using any public funds to support organizations that advocate and provide abortion services.

“I will fight for every child’s right to reach their God-given potential,” Francois said on her website.

In terms of campaign funds, Demings has raised $1.3 million so far -- about $200,000 of that was raised in July -- which is about the total amount Francois has in the bank.

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