ORANGE COUNTY, Fla – Five months ago, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings was campaigning to become Florida’s next governor. A routine blood test soon sent his plans in a different direction.
Demings suspended his gubernatorial bid in June after learning he had prostate cancer. Following surgery in late July, he says he is now cancer-free. In an interview with News 6 Anchor Matt Austin, the mayor urged men to take prostate cancer screenings seriously.
“I had the surgery on July 28th, and here we are today, cancer-free, caught it early,” Demings told News 6. “For many of the men that I talked to, some of them were not so lucky.”
Demings was diagnosed on June 1. Four days later, after delivering his final State of the County address, he publicly disclosed his condition and said he was leaving the governor’s race to concentrate on treatment.
“I made a decision to suspend my race for governor and get treated,” he said.
The most striking part of Demings’ case, according to his doctors, was the absence of symptoms. His cancer was detected because of a changing test result.
“Other than the numbers going up, I did not have any symptoms that I could identify as having a problem,” Demings said. “It really was the numbers.” Those numbers were his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, levels, which were monitored through regular screenings. Dr. Vipul Patel, the Celebration surgeon who treated Demings, said that routine testing played a crucial role in finding the cancer early.
“Because he takes good care of his health, he was being screened regularly, and that’s what led to the early diagnosis, and that’s what led to him having a very good outcome,” Patel said.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: FBI and DEA Conduct Raid on Texas Star Pharmacy, Seizing Assets – NewsFinale
Patel cautioned that many men are no longer getting screened. He cited a 2012 change in federal guidelines that removed the PSA blood test from routine recommendations. “There are many men who don’t get screened, because even though it’s still the second leading cause of cancer death, it’s not part of normal screening,” Patel said.
His advice is direct: detecting prostate cancer early can make all the difference.
“Prostate cancer found early is highly curable, in the high 90s,” Patel said. “The key is to really get screened.” Demings delivered a similar warning, saying men often delay or avoid regular medical care. “The cautionary tale that I say to men is go to the doctors, because oftentimes men won’t go to a doctor at the same frequency that women go to doctors,” he said.
Demings is term-limited and nearing the end of his tenure as mayor, prompting questions about whether he might eventually return to politics, including another possible run for governor. Asked whether Demings would be healthy enough for a future campaign, Patel was unequivocal: “He’s already healthy,” the doctor said.
Demings did not close the door on a political comeback. While he made no specific announcement, he also made clear that he has no plans to step away from public service.
“I’m going to be of service. This is my home — I was born and raised here, so I will continue to find an opportunity to continue serving our community,” he said. “It may not be in an elected role or any of those things, but giving back to the community by volunteering or being of service. So you’ll continue to see me around.”
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.