Valdez Venita Demings (née Butler; born March 12, 1957) is an American politician and former police officer who served as U.S. representative for Florida's 10th congressional district from 2017 to 2023.

From 2007 to 2011, Demings served as the first female chief of the Orlando Police Department, closing a 27-year career in law enforcement.

After losing to Republican incumbent Daniel Webster, she won in 2016 after the State Supreme Court mandated redistricting statewide.

[2] In early August 2020, Demings was said to be one of the top contenders to be Joe Biden's vice-presidential running mate in the 2020 United States presidential election, along with Kamala Harris and Susan Rice.

[3] Instead of running for re-election in the House, she became the Democratic nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Florida, wherein she lost to Republican incumbent Marco Rubio in a landslide.

In July 2024, President Joe Biden nominated Demings to serve as a member of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.

[11] According to a 2015 article in The Atlantic, the Orlando Police Department "has a long record of excessive-force allegations, and a lack of transparency on the subject, dating back at least as far as Demings's time as chief.

"[13] Demings responded with an op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel, writing, "Looking for a negative story in a police department is like looking for a prayer at church", adding, "It won't take long to find one."

[15][16][12] Demings was the Democratic nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 10th congressional district in the 2012 elections.

[21] In 2015, Demings announced her candidacy for the 10th district seat after a court-ordered redistricting made the 10th significantly more Democratic ahead of the 2016 elections.

On July 25, 2024, President Joe Biden nominated Demings to serve as a member of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.

"[48] She supported the Gun Violence Restraining Order Act of 2017, which would have provided a lawful method of temporarily confiscating firearms from people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.

Of the act, Demings said, "We must do what we can to make sure law enforcement has the tools it needs to more effectively perform the ever more challenging job of keeping us a safe nation.

"[49] After the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, Demings opposed arming teachers, calling the idea "ridiculous"[50] and saying it would "only shift the responsibility from lawmakers to others.

It shifts the pain, the hurt, and the guilt to school staff who will find themselves outskilled and outgunned in active shooter situations.