Demings’s Senate campaign raises over $12 million in second quarter

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) announced that her Senate campaign raised over $12.2 million in the second quarter of the year on Tuesday. 

The massive haul leaves the Democratic Senate candidate with $12.5 million in the bank. Demings’s campaign has raised over $41.9 million to date. 

Demings’s campaign touted what it said was its grassroots strength, saying its average donation during the second quarter was under $30. 

Incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has yet to release his campaign’s second-quarter numbers, but the Sunshine State’s Senate race is gearing up to be one of the most expensive in the country. Last quarter, Demings raised over $10 million, while Rubio raked in $5.8 million. 

Despite having a fundraising lead over Rubio for now, challenging Rubio in the red-leaning state will still be an uphill battle for Demings.

Republicans have seen a number of election wins in Florida in recent years and Rubio has built a high profile for himself nationally.

Still, Demings, the former Orlando Police Department chief, has become a well-known figure in her own right, serving as an impeachment manager in former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial. She was also floated as a potential 2020 running mate for President Biden. 

Rubio leads in most public polls, according to FiveThirtyEight. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as “lean Republican.”