Florida Senate: GOP Sen. Marco Rubio defeats Democratic challenger Rep. Val Demings

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In Florida, the Fox News Decision Desk says Republican Senator Marco Rubio has defeated Democratic Rep. Val Demings, with millions of votes in. 

Rubio, the son of Cuban migrants, was first sworn in as senator of Florida in 2011 and has held the seat since. He also competed for the presidency in 2016, but lost the GOP nomination to former President Donald Trump.

Rubio currently serves as vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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Florida Democratic Senate candidate Val Demings, left, and incumbent Florida GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio, right. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg, Gerardo Mora via Getty Images)

Demings, the Democratic nominee and Orlando's first female chief of police, is currently the representative of Florida's 10th Congressional District, but gave up her seat in an effort to oust the Republican Senator. 

Gas prices and inflation were top of mind during the pair's one and only midterm debate. "Our oil reserves do not exist to win midterms," Rubio stated. "They exist to help this country in an emergency or in the midst of a storm. What we cannot do is some of these crazy policies that are coming from the left that Congresswoman Demings has supported."

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Demings hit back at Rubio's comments during the heated debate. "Of course the senator who has never run anything at all but his mouth would know nothing about helping people and being there for people when they are in trouble."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced his bid for the presidency in 2015, but dropped out of the race after coming in second to former President Donald Trump in Florida's GOP primary. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)

Demings suggested that her opponent supports no exemptions for abortion, including rape and incest, while Rubio claimed that Demings supports "no restrictions, no limitations" on abortion.

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"The extremist on abortion in this campaign is Congresswoman Demings. She supports no restrictions, no limitations of any kind," Rubio stated. "She's against the fourth-month ban, she voted against the five-month ban. She supports taxpayer funded abortion, on demand, for any reason, at any time, up until the moment of birth."

Fox News Digital reached out to Demings on multiple occasions asking what, if any, restrictions she supported on abortion, including up until the moment of birth, but received no response.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden attended a rally for Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., and Florida Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., on October 15, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.  (Gerardo Mora)

"Senator, how gullible do you really think Florida voters are," Demings responded to Rubio's claim on abortion. "You have been clear that you support no exceptions, even including rape and incest."

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During the election cycle, Florida was devastated by Hurricane Ida, prompting both candidates to suspend their campaigns and, despite their political division, focus recovery from the disaster.