Florida U.S. Rep. Val Demings on Tuesday seized the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Marco Rubio this fall.
Demings, a former Orlando police chief and a prodigious political fundraiser, now has a chance to become Florida’s first Black female senator.
"I stand before you tonight believing in the promise of America," Demings told supporters at a rally Tuesday night.
The 65-year-old easily defeated three lesser-known candidates in Tuesday's primary.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
Rubio, 51, was first elected in 2010 and is the state's senior U.S. Senator. He won reelection in 2016 over Democrat Patrick Murphy by near 8 percentage points.
NBC 6 and AP