Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, Rick Singh consider run for mayor

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said Thursday that he is considering a run for county mayor in 2018.

Demings was just elected to his third term as sheriff and if he were to be elected mayor, a special election would have to be held in 2018 to fill his position for the two years remaining in the term.

Due to term limits, current Mayor Teresa Jacobs will not be running for re-election in 2018 and several individuals have been rumored to be considering a run.

Those believed to be mulling a run for county mayor are tax collector Scott Randolph, property appraiser Rick Singh and Orange County School Board member Bill Sublette.

No one has officially announced their intention to run for county mayor.

Demings and his wife, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, D-Florida, have gone through six elections and both have served as chief of the Orlando Police Department.

Following WFTV's story Thursday, Demings released a statement Friday: “There has been information circulating in the community regarding the 2018 Orange County Mayoral race and my potential candidacy for the office.

"I am extremely proud of my lifelong public service to the residents of Orlando and Orange County as police chief, public safety director and now sheriff of Orange County.

"Respected members of the community have approached me to discuss this opportunity as a mayoral candidate. I am giving it serious thought, but have not come to a final decision as it requires great reflection on my part along with my family, before I make a formal announcement to the community.”

Channel 9's Lauren Seabrook asked Singh about his intention to run.

“I’m thinking about it seriously. But it’s a very hard decision because of the fact that I’ve got a responsibility here to the taxpayers," Singh said.

Cox Media Group