Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has officially filed to run for governor, election records show.

Demings immediately becomes one of the frontrunners to be the Democratic nominee next year as candidates line up to succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who faces term limits and can’t run again. In all, 29 candidates now fill the field, though the vast majority are long shots.

The top-line name on the Democratic side is David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who left the party in President Donald Trump’s first term, joined the Democratic party in April and filed to run for governor.

On the Republican side, Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is among the front runners, along with former House speaker Paul Renner. Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins has acknowledged he’s heavily cons

See Full Page