Rubio, Demings debate: They trade barbs, disagree on economy, abortion, guns — and post offices

LAKE WORTH BEACH — With just three weeks before Election Day, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and Congresswoman Val Demings on Tuesday night traded barbs and accusations of "lies" and "crazy" beliefs in their only scheduled debate as they battle for a critical U.S. Senate seat.

The Republican incumbent U.S. senator and his Democratic rival hotly debated topics, climate change, abortion, border security, voting rights, U.S-China relations, during their one-hour encounter at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth Beach. The spirited back-and-forth at times became disorderly as both candidates talked at, and over, each other.

The first sparks of friction came on a topic at the top of voters' minds nationally and in Florida — inflation.

What we learned:Five takeaways from U.S. Senate debate between Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Val Demings

Debate recap:A look back at the debate between Marco Rubio and Val Demings

Fact check:PolitiFact: The only Florida Senate debate between Val Demings and Marco Rubio, fact-checked

More:Senate debate: From the spin room, Marco Rubio and Val Demings surrogates claim victory

Inflation and what to do about it ignited the fiery Rubio-Demings debate

Rubio ripped congressional Democrats, including Demings, who represents an Orlando district in the U.S. House, for the trillions of dollars in pandemic and infrastructure spending during the Biden administration.

Democrats were warned "you do this and you're going to fire up inflation," he said.

Rubio also criticized the White House for tapping U.S. oil reserves rather than increasing U.S. petroleum production. He called a Democratic initiative to levy a $10.35 per barrel tax that he said would increase gasoline prices by 35 cents per gallon "socialist."

"What we cannot do is some is some of these crazy policies that Congresswoman Demings is supporting," he said.

Demings fired back that Rubio "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." She defended the spending in the American Rescue Act as a way to help people and families who were financially in the midst of the pandemic.

The congresswoman said Rubio's push for the Paycheck Protection Plan to help businesses "that you love to take credit for" was "poorly written" and "didn't help the people that it was supposed to." She later noted a new initiative Democrats approved, and Biden signed, to lower prescription drug prices.

Heated sparring over abortion, gun safety, immigration and voting rights

The debate's first flashpoint, however, erupted over an issue that may be esoteric to many voters, naming federal buildings.

The topic came up when Rubio derided Demings over what he said was a failure to pass any legislation, other than, he quipped, naming post offices.

Demings shot back that "it's embarrassing that you think that honoring a person who is a hero by name and a federal building after them is nothing" adding that naming a building after a police officer "who was killed in a line of duty is everything senator, it matters to his family."

That set the stage for another flinty exchange over abortion.

Rubio defended his position on reproductive rights and insisted he believes in writing critical exceptions into new legislation, suggesting he opposed outright bans even as many in his party are calling for such action in state legislatures.

"I'm 100% for life, (not) because ... I want to deny anyone the rights," he said. "But because I believe that innocent human life is worthy of the protection of our laws. That said, every bill I've ever sponsored on abortion ... has exceptions."

Rubio also charged that Demings backed "infanticide" by not supporting legislative protection for a "child" who survives a failed abortion.

Demings charged Rubio with "lying" to voters about his position. She said she did not think it was OK for a "10-year-old-girl to be raped and have to carry" the rapist's child to term. But she did not clearly define, even when asked, what she believed would be the point of "viability"

"No, I don't think it's okay for you to make decisions for women and girls. As a senator. I think those decisions are made between the woman, her family, her doctor and her faith," she said. "Marco Rubio has been clear that he supports no exceptions, even in the cases of rape and incest. He said time and time and time again."

On new voting laws, Rubio says you need voter IDs; Demings says it's to stop people from voting

The two also sparred over new voting laws, including Florida's, which Republicans say protect election integrity and Democrats say are meant to keep people from voting.

Demings insisted the laws, which place restrictions on ordering mail-in ballots and use of drop boxes, are efforts to "stop" voters, especially those of color, from casting a ballot. She also called out the state's new "election police" unit under Gov. Ron DeSantis' direction.

"We have to do everything within our power to uphold the Constitution, protect the rule of law and protect our democracy and protect each person's, Republican, Democrats and independents, right to vote," she said.

►VOTING GUIDE: Everything you need to know for the Nov. 8 election

Rubio lauded Florida's laws and said he has "never denied an election." He stated support for voter identification rules and said he opposed a federal takeover of elections. He also cited a danger to drop boxes, including placing explosives in them, that Florida election supervisors have not singled out as a scenario of concern.

"These are rules that allow people to have confidence that the vote counted in their vote matter," he said. "They're not the suppressing anyone's vote."

Mass shootings issue had Rubio defending 'red flag' laws; Demings said he's done nothing 'significant'

The debate tackled an issue that profoundly resonates across Florida — mass shootings — in the wake of massacres at an Orlando nightclub in 2016 and then at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in nearby Parkland two years later.

Rubio said the gun safety legislation Demings and Democrats support would not have stopped any of the more recent gun violence. He faulted individual cases where law enforcement and school officials "did nothing" when acting with foresight might have stopped a senseless tragedy.

That's why said he pushed for "red flag" laws to allow a "police department to go before a judge and remove" guns from people who are shown to be a danger.

"So I think the solution to this problem is to identify these people that are acting this way," he said.

More:Victims' families, politicians condemn life sentence verdict by Nikolas Cruz jury

Demings called for what she said was more resolute action, from raising the age to buy a weapon to banning assault weapons.

"Senator, 24 years in elected office and you have not yet risen to that occasion," Demings said. "He thought he would get a pass for the mass shootings that we've had in our state and doing nothing significant to do anything about it."

On immigration, Rubio bashes Biden's handling; Demings says we need more agents and processers

On immigration, Rubio rattled off a series of statistics — he said 5,000 people were crossing the border on a daily basis with 5 million doing so illegally since the Biden administration took office and 2 million in just the past 12 months.

"There's no country in the world that can tolerate or permit or afford 5,000 people a day arriving at your border," he said.

Demings rebutted that more "boots on the ground" in terms of Border Patrol officers and technology for enforcement, along with personnel to process asylum applications, would resolve the crisis with a humane response rather than Rubio and Republicans' plan to "send them back."

"Yes, we need to secure our border more. I think you can do that with technology, more boots on the ground, and more people to process those who need to be turned back," she said. 

Marco Rubio, Val Demings debate: Their closing arguments

In his closing remarks, Rubio spoke of his experience and slammed Demings.

“No U.S. senator has gotten more done than I have,” said Rubio rattling of a list of legislation from doubling the child tax credit to helping veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

“I'm asking for a chance to continue that work because I have a record of not just identifying the problems but fixing it,” he said. “And my opponent has been in Congress now for half a decade and has never passed a single piece of legislation into law, not one.

Demings spoke of her experience as a top cop in Orlando and her work in Congress. She told Floridians about her personal history — she was the daughter of a maid and a janitor, the first in her family to graduate college and served as chief of the Orlando police department.

“Only in  America is my story possible,” she said. “I just happen to believe that every person regardless of who they are deserves the opportunity to succeed, deserves the opportunity to make it.”

Rubio and Demings campaign each boasted about their side winning the debate.

“Marco laid out his record of getting things done for Florida, proving how effective he is at delivering results for Florida families, and it’s why they are going to send him back to the Senate to continue fighting for them,” said Mark Morgan, Rubio for Senate campaign manager.

“Chief Val Demings held Marco Rubio accountable for failing to show up for work, and hurting Floridians when he does,” said the Demings campaign in a statement. “Demings closed the debate by highlighting her personal story and making the case clear: this race is about a cop on the beat versus a career politician who doesn’t even show up for work.”

Rubio, Demings have been upping campaign intensity as Nov. 8 looms

The debate took place as both camps ramp up their efforts in the final weeks of the 2022 midterm election campaigns.

Earlier Tuesday, Rubio's campaign released three more ads. In the days ahead of the debate, Florida's senior senator campaigned on his home turf in Miami, where he held a roundtable discussion with Cuban-American community leaders. Cuban-American voters, particularly in Miami-Dade County, swung heavily to President Donald Trump in 2020, and Rubio is counting on similar support.

“Those of us who have seen Marco Rubio grow politically are here because he is an instrumental U.S. Senator in the fight for a free Cuba,” said radio personality Ninoska Pérez in a statement.

The edge in Miami-Dade GOP voters has only grown in the past two years. Among registered voters who identify as Hispanic in Florida's most populous county, Republicans now outnumber Democrats by more than 74,000. They outnumbered Democrats by 36,000 in the fall of 2020.

In case you missed it:Poll: 70% of Florida Hispanics oppose making abortion illegal, but it's not biggest issue

Previous coverage:GOP's gains with more Miami-Dade Hispanics a bad sign for Democrats

The Hispanic community makes up the largest voting bloc in Miami-Dade, with 59.5% of the electorate. Within this group, about 325,000 are registered Republicans and about 251,000 are registered Democrats. About 309,000 are registered without party affiliation.

For her part, Demings rallied Democrats in Central Florida over the weekend alongside first lady Jill Biden. Next month, President Joe Biden is scheduled to come to Florida to bolster Democratic campaign efforts.

Federal Elections Commission data speaks to how the marquee race has drawn intense fundraising interest. FEC tallies place Demings in the top three among candidates in fundraising with roughly $65 million. Rubio comes in just behind at $37 million.

Did you know?:Rubio support for repeal drug price negotiating rule angers Democrat who voted for it

More like this:Rubio defends DeSantis flying migrants to Martha's Vineyard, says "freak out" misguided

Q&A:Val Demings: "Let's don't play politics with people's lives"

Hispanic and Black atop ballot: Marco Rubio-Val Demings contest unique

Political watchers say the uniqueness of the U.S. Senate contest in Florida, which pits a Black woman and a Hispanic man at the top of the ballot, will drive voter turnout among minority electorates, especially in the wake of voting reforms advocates have criticized as making it more difficult for people to vote.

For the Aug. 23 primary, Florida listed nearly 2.6 million voters who are Hispanic and 1.9 million who are Black, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

"We're all kind of looking to see what voter turnout will look like in Florida," said Nazita Lajevardi, an associate professor in political science at Michigan State University.

What's clear is interest in midterm elections, in which the presidency is not at stake, has been rising in Florida. In 2010, fewer than half the voters — just 49% — cast a ballot. That rose to 63% in 2018.

Tuesday night's debate had other statewide and national implications

In Florida, Democrats badly want to recapture a U.S. Senate seat after narrowly losing the one Bill Nelson held for 18 years to now-U.S. Sen. Rick Scott in 2018.  

Flipping Florida's seat to Demings would be a monumental win for Democrats. For Republicans, securing Rubio's seat is critical to GOP hopes of recapturing control of the Senate, which they relinquished in January 2021 after losing both Senate seats in Georgia.

The political analysis website FiveThirtyEight presently gives Democrats a "two-in-three chance" of keeping the majority in the Senate. But the picture looks far less favorable for Demings in the Sunshine State.

Inflation is becoming the paramount issue for voters as Florida turns redder

The 2022 midterm elections take place as Florida experiences an ongoing sea change in voter demographics. This year's contest take place as Republican voter registrations far exceed those of Democrats, giving the GOP an edge of more than 292,533 voters.

Inflation continues to dog Florida households. Gasoline prices in the state, which had been decreasing over the summer, increased 7 cents per gallon last week. The state average — at $3.40 for a gallon of regular gas — has now increased a total of 23 cents since Oct. 6, according to AAA-The Auto Club Group.

Brad Coker, of Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, said Demings will struggle to win for a number of reasons: rising prices, President Joe Biden's poor ratings in Florida, and voters' concerns about immigration and crime.

Coker wasn't surprised when Mason-Dixon's polling late last month showed Rubio with a 6% edge, virtually unchanged since February.

"The inflation issue is working for the Republicans. Immigration is working for the Republicans. And crime is working for the Republicans," Coker said. "That's going to be a formidable for a challenger to take on an incumbent where four of the top five issues, in this case, the incumbent Republican has the upper hand at least in terms of his position on it."

That view was backed by a New York Times/Siena College survey that found 49% of likely voters in the poll said they would vote for a Republican congressional candidate, while 45% said they would pick a Democrat. Pollsters said the result reflected surging concern about the economy and inflation.

In speeches and appearances, Demings and congressional Democrats have harped on the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June.

A poll of women voters aged 18 to 29 released Tuesday by Ms. magazine and Feminist Majority Foundation found "abortion and women’s rights are the most important and highly motivating issues in determining their vote." 

The poll surveyed 1,000 voters across nine states, including Florida.

Analysts have said that abortion has been one of Demings' most persuasive talking points and commercials.

In one ad, she takes Rubio to task saying: "I know something about fighting crime, Senator Rubio. Rape is a crime. Incest is a crime. Abortion is not."

During the Democrats' press conference Tuesday before , Palm Beach Democratic Party leader Mindy Koch said electing Demings is key to restoring reproductive rights. 

"Don't kid yourself about abortion," she said. "It's on the ballot this election."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.