ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings is resigning to meet a statutory requirement to run for Orange County mayor.
Demings made the announcement Thursday, almost a year after formally launching his bid for mayor.
Read: Demings launches Orange County mayoral campaign
Demings was first elected sheriff in 2008 and won reelection in 2012 and 2016.
His resignation goes into effect Dec. 4. Demings said he chose that day because it’s the day the next Orange County mayor will be sworn in.
“I had to do my own polling to get some verification. That polling says that we can win this race,” he said.
Five other men have filed to run against Demings for mayor; Pete Clarke, Jose Colom, Robert Melanson, Rob Panepinto and David Quiros.
Read: Sheriff Jerry Demings to run for Orange County mayor
Channel 9 asked what Demings’ polling says about his chances.
“I’m not here to vilify them. I’ve never run a campaign where I try to tear down those who may be running against me,” Demings said.
He said after 37 years in law enforcement he’s seen the best and the worst, but there’s a lot he’ll miss.
“I will likely miss having the opportunity to actually do a traffic stop from time to time,” said Demings.
The sheriff’s resignation is irrevocable, which means he can’t return to the position if someone else if elected mayor.
“I have done everything I could humanely do to win. So, I’m going to look forward to victory,” said Demings.
He said if that doesn’t happen, he does not plan to retire.
Prior to being elected sheriff, Demings was appointed Orange County public safety director and Orlando police chief.
His wife, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, also served as Orlando police chief prior to being elected to Congress in November 2016.
She lost a bid for Congress in 2012 to Republican Daniel Webster. She also briefly ran against Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, but she dropped out of that race.
Jose Colom and Robert Edward Melanson are also running for county mayor.
Read: OPD Chief John Mina considers run for Orange County sheriff
The primary is scheduled for Aug. 28, 2018, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2018.
Cox Media Group
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