ORLANDO, Fla. — Rep. Val Demings blasted a Democrat running for Orange County sheriff this week for using her picture in campaign advertisements without her permission.

  • Darryl Sheppard has a picture of Rep. Val Demings on his Facebook campaign page
  • She wants it removed, but he refuses
  • Orange County Democratic Party also not endorsing him
  • DECISION 2018: Latest News | Voting Guide

But Darryl Sheppard, the Democratic candidate, says he has no intention to remove an online photo showing him and Democrat Congresswoman Val Demings together.

Sheppard is facing two front runners: Orlando Police Chief John Mina and former Florida Highway Patrol Chief Joe Lopez; both are No Party Affiliation candidates.

The three are vying to replace Deming’s husband, current Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, who voters elected in the August primary to become the county’s next mayor. Sheriff Demings has publicly endorsed Mina for sheriff, but his wife's office says the Orange County congresswoman is not endorsing anyone. Val Demings is a former Orlando police chief.

Sheppard says the photo was taken at a past NAACP event, featuring a number of community leaders and Democrats.

“I’m the only Democrat nominee for sheriff, she was an ex-law enforcement officer, so of course I’m going to take a picture,” Sheppard exclusively told Spectrum News 13. “When I’m promoting my campaign as a Democrat, as the only life-long Democrat in the race, I would think that it would be perfectly fine to have a picture alongside our Democratic congresswoman.”

But Demings seems to disagree. Demings said in a post on her personal Facebook account that her people asked Sheppard twice to remove the image. Some have suggested the photo and campaign graphic could suggest to a potential voter that Demings endorsed Sheppard.

So Demings posted a critical response Thursday, just to make her position clear, saying she "would not endorse Darryl Sheppard for 'dog catcher' of Orange County for fear that canines would lodge complaints." 

“I was surprised at first, taken aback that she would say something like that,” Sheppard said. “It wasn’t implied in my campaign to be an endorsement. It was other Democrats that were part of that picture and for me, it was more of a fellowship among people I have similar views with and are part of the Democratic party.”

Sheppard is the only partisan candidate in the race for Orange County sheriff. However the Orange County Democratic Party has dismissed Sheppard’s candidacy, even leaving him off of a voter guide.

He said he does not have any intention to remove the photo in question from his campaign Facebook page.

“At this point, I still think she is a fellow Democrat, I think we share the same values and still want to promote and help people understand that don’t," Sheppard said. "That I am a fellow Democrat, alongside her, working for the same policies, working for the same issues, toward the same goal, and I hope she’s on board in a supportive fashion.”

A spokeswoman for Deming’s campaign said she was not available Friday for an on camera interview. She wrote in her response that she was not endorsing any candidate in the race.

Demings also took aim in her Facebook post at Sheppard’s criminal past. He has been arrested 13 times for a variety of crimes, but never convicted.

 

While Mina has been shy to comment on the issue, Lopez has said in the past he believes this should disqualify Sheppard.

“I’m an innocent man, and going forward I have every right to run for office and make a change and make a difference,” Sheppard said. “I don’t like people trying to bring that up to demean my character. We start at innocent.”

Sheppard is also the focus of a lawsuit where an Orange County judge will have to decide whether Sheppard should remain on November’s ballot.

Said Lutfi is suing Sheppard and Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, claiming that Sheppard bounced two checks trying to qualify for the race, and therefore should be taken off the ballot.

Sheppard would not comment on the progress of the suit, only that he believed it is politically motivated by a supporter of an opponent.