Marco Rubio, Val Demings set to debate Tuesday night in Palm Beach County
MIAMI -- Val Demings and Marco Rubio are slated to debate Tuesday evening, the first -- and only -- scheduled meeting between the two in which each is expected to discuss their vision for Florida and explain why they should be elected to the U.S. Senate.
Rubio, 51, is seeking re-election to a Senate seat he has held since 2010 while Rep. Demings, 65, is trying to score an upset in a race that recent polls have shown her trailing the incumbent.
The debate is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in Palm Beach County. The campaign has garnered national interest and could very well determine which party controls the U.S. Senate come January.
"Val is in striking distance because of strong fundraising and because she has been voting for Florida in key things like infrastructure and hurricane relief," U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, a Democrat who represents Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel.
Demings, a Democrat, hails from the Orlando area and has a law enforcement background, serving as chief of the Orlando Police Department for several years.
Rubio is expected to tout his experience and his record in the Senate, a campaign spokesperson said.
"On Tuesday night, Marco Rubio will highlight his record of getting things done for Florida and shine a light on Congresswoman Val Demings' blind support for Democrats' agenda and her failure to deliver results for Floridians," spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory told the Sentinel.
Nova Southeastern University History and Politics Professor Charles Zelden said there's a reason why there is only one debate on the books.
"What's happening is that Rubio is far enough ahead of Val Demings, he doesn't feel the need to debate her and sees in a debate more of an opportunity for him to make a mistake than it is to help himself. She on the other hand badly needs this and as many other debates as she can get to prove herself against Rubio," Zelden said.
He said debating, Rubio has more to lose, while Demings has the chance to gain.
"When you're ahead, why bother debating? Good things tend to happen to those who are behind in debates. If you're ahead the only thing that can go, that can happen that can help you is that you don't make a mistake," he said.
Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth is the location of tonight's debate.
"I think they see a chance to swing more votes out of Palm Beach County and Democrats see a chance to strengthen in a county where they're 60-40 split. They need to be 70-30," Zelden said.
Zelden said at this point — many voters have already made up their minds, but there's still room to pick up those crucial undecided voters. "There is a segment of the state population that is convincible to switch their vote. It's a small percentage, maybe 10%, but that 10% is the difference between winning and losing," Prof. Zelden said.
The debate begins and 7 and will last 1 hour.