LEE COUNTY, Fla. — In separate interviews, Fox 4 anchor Nadeen Yanes sits down with Senator Marco Rubio and Congresswoman Val Demings in what's most likely to be one of the most contentious races in November.
CONGRESSWOMAN VAL DEMINGS
Fox 4 first sat down with Congresswoman and Former Orlando Police Chief Val Demingsduring her visit to Fort Myers days before she easily secured the Democratic nominee.
"It's so good to be here," Demings said to a crowd filled the Quality Life Center in Fort Myers.
Demings, 65, is hoping to win votes in Lee County, which with 63% voted overwhelmingly for her opponent and incumbent Republican Senator Marco Rubio in 2016.
"I'm doing what I've always done as a law enforcement officer, and that's not picking winners and losers based on a political party," Demings said in our interview in August. "It's about serving the people, I will represent Fort Myers too, maybe Marco Rubio should go across the state and talk to people he's not comfortable talking to."
The latest Impact Research Poll shows Rubio with a slight 3-point lead over Demings, which means the high-stakes race to the Senate could be a close one in November.
Demings relinquished her seat in Congress for this Senate race, gaining national name recognition by serving as one of the 7 impeachment managers in Former President Trump's Impeachment Trial.
She's hoping her stance on issues like public safety, as a 27-year veteran of law enforcement and serving as Orlando's first female police chief could help secure the seat.
Also proud of being part of the passing of the Inflation Reduction act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO
However, Senator Marco Rubio is fighting for what would be his 3-term as Senator. He was first elected as Senator in 2010, re-elected in 2016, and now hopes to secure his seat again.
Fox 4 sat down with the senator on Tuesday confirming he plans to visit Southwest Florida after Labor Day.
Rubio was proud of his achievement as the creator and co-author of the Covid-19 Payment Protection Program, which helped businesses throughout the pandemic.
"No one has gotten more done than I have," Rubio said. "We can start with the PPP program. I wasn't the co-sponsor of bill, or support of the bill, I wrote it, and mean, we helped pass it and implemented it. We saved millions of small businesses."
Rubio's adding in his tenure he created accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs and helped pass the Burn Pit legislation.
In his tenure, he also helped secure $250 million dollars for Everglades restoration.
However, when asked where Rubio identifies himself within a very split Republican Party, in what he called a 'diverse Republican Party' he said he wouldn't want to label it.
"I see myself as Marco Rubio, I mean I believe in the things I believe in," Rubio said. "I wouldn't characterize it a label, I consider myself conservative."
Both candidates hitting the campaign trail ahead of the General Election on November 8th.
