Rubio wins re-election, defeating Demings in Florida

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio defeated his Democratic challenger, Rep. Val Demings, in Tuesday's election, the Associated Press reported.

Why it matters: Rubio's re-election victory reinforces that Florida, which elected President Obama twice, may no longer be a swing state.

Former President Trump won the Sunshine State in 2016 and 2020, and he campaigned for Rubio at a rally in Miami last weekend.
Rubio cast Demings as a rubber stamp for President Biden's agenda, hoping to capitalize on voter concerns about inflation and Biden's low approval ratings.

Between the lines: The incumbent made national news leading up to the election after a GOP canvasser wearing a Rubio shirt was attacked in Hialeah, Florida, an incident Rubio and the canvasser have claimed was politically motivated.

Background: Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for president in 2016.

A rising political star since a young age, Rubio was 26 when he was elected a West Miami city commissioner and became speaker of the Florida House in his mid-30s.