2022 Florida Senate Voters Guide

Val Demings (D) vs Marco Rubio (R)

US Senate | Election | Nov 8, 2022

The Candidates

Val Demings

Val Demings

Democrat

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio

Republican

Incumbent

The Issues

Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority? Tax or limit output of greenhouse gases, or support renewable energy?

Share Their Positions

Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, economy?

Marco Rubio (R)
Share Their Positions

Education

How to address the teaching of issues around racism and gender identity?

Share Their Positions

Elections

Did Joe Biden legitimately win the 2020 Presidential election?

Marco Rubio (R)

Mixed. Says Biden was legitimately elected. Called Jan 6 committee a “partisan scam.”

Share Their Positions

Immigration

How to handle immigration? Support a path to citizenship for “DACA” participants brought to the US as children?

Share Their Positions

Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Marco Rubio (R)

Mostly harder. Opposes PRO Act, which would “mandate adversarial” labor-management relations. Supports alternative to unionization that promotes voluntary employee organizations to discuss workplace issues. Backed Amazon workers trying to unionize because Amazon allies with “the left in the culture war.”

Share Their Positions

Marijuana

Ban or legal?

Val Demings (D)

Legal. Voted to decriminalize marijuana. Voted for 2021 SAFE Banking of Act, prohibiting federal banking regulators from penalizing banks for serving “a legitimate cannabis-related business.”

Marco Rubio (R)

Ban. Calls recreational legalization “a terrible idea” sees marijuana as a “gateway” drug. Is open to possible FDA approval for medical use if doctors see marijuana as a medicine.

Share Their Positions

Minimum Wage

Keep or raise federal minimum from $7.25/hour? If raise, how much?

Val Demings (D)

Raise. “A $15 minimum wage is the least that American workers deserve.” Cosponsored Raise the Wage Act of 2021 to increase the federal minimum over five years.

Marco Rubio (R)

No recent position found. In 2013, said “I don’t believe a minimum law works.” In 2015 said the solution to low wages is to “create millions of jobs that pay more.

Share Their Positions

Police and Community

How to address police use of force?

Val Demings (D)

More public oversight. Cosponsored a bill to “ensure higher levels of training and accountability.” Cosponsored a bill that would make it easier to sue police officers, prohibit no-knock drug case warrants, and ban chokeholds and military weapons transfers.

Marco Rubio (R)

Mostly research further. “Bad police officers need to be fired,” and “if they’ve committed a crime, …prosecuted.” Police “should be reformed, not defunded.” Supported a bill to train police and collect data on use of force, with a limited chokehold ban.

Share Their Positions

Student Financial Aid

Support forgiving student loans or lowering interest on them?

Marco Rubio (R)

No to forgiveness. Loan cancellation would mean “hundreds of billions of dollars shelled out without congressional authorization.” Exceptions for some service members and terrorism survivors. Yes to eliminating interest, replacing with a one-time fee.

Share Their Positions

Taxes

Should corporations and wealthier individuals pay less or more taxes?

Val Demings (D)

More. Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, with provisions that set a minimum corporate tax and taxed corporate stock buybacks. Voted against the 2017 tax cuts, with provisions that reduced corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%.

Marco Rubio (R)

Less. Voted for the 2017 tax cuts that reduced corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, though he also criticized them. Voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which contained corporate tax provisions. Opposed high-earner tax increases, “Once you set up a new federal tax…They’ll keep going down the income brackets.”

Share Their Positions

Voting Rules

Support tightened restrictions on such voting rules as absentee and early voting, and voter ID?

Share Their Positions

Share the 2022 Florida Senate Voters Guide

guides.vote is a nonpartisan effort to show where candidates stand, with links to credible sources. We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate for office. Vote411.org offers guides to local races.