Democrat Val Demings, once an underdog in the Florida race for the U.S. Senate, is closing in on incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio, putting into play a seat that Republicans once considered relatively safe as they battle for the majority.
Polls put Mrs. Demings, who represents the state’s 10th Congressional District, within 3 percentage points of Mr. Rubio, a Republican running for a third term. The race is starting to look like a toss-up.
While Mrs. Demings saturates the state’s major media markets with advertisements promoting herself as a tough-on-crime lawmaker who served as Orlando’s police chief, Mr. Rubio is struggling with favorability ratings while facing Democratic voters energized by the Supreme Court ruling overturning nationwide abortion rights.