ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Anticipation is building in Orange County as Mayor Jerry Demings prepares to host an “announcement rally” next week, a gathering that promises to be pivotal for the region’s political landscape.

Scheduled for Thursday evening, the event has captured considerable attention, although the specifics remain under wraps. The mayor is expected to deliver a significant announcement and lay out a vision for the future, fueling curiosity and discussion among political observers and constituents alike.

In recent months, there has been widespread speculation that Demings might be eyeing a run for the Florida governor’s seat. His interactions with state officials, notably his public disagreements with Governor Ron DeSantis and CFO Blaise Ingoglia regarding county expenditures and the contentious DOGE audit, have further stirred these rumors.

The mayor has remained tight-lipped about his potential gubernatorial ambitions, maintaining a strategic silence that has only intensified the intrigue surrounding his upcoming announcement.

[WATCH: Florida CFO, Orange County mayor cite conflicting numbers in DOGE battle]

In September, amid the back and forth with Ingoglia, Demings made perhaps his first public hint.

“I’m not saying I’m not going to run. Given all these things that have been happening? I might just do that,” he said.

In speaking to News 6 earlier this month, Demings was coy again.

“I’ll make an announcement soon about the decision I made, and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

Demings was elected as the first African American mayor in December 2018 and reelected in 2022. Before that, he served as Orange County sheriff, and county director of public safety.

If Demings does indeed run for governor, he would run against Republican congressman-turned Democrat David Jolly in a Democratic primary.

Republican candidates include the Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.

Meanwhile, five candidates have filed to run in 2026 to replace Demings as Orange County mayor: Stephanie Murphy, the former congresswoman from Winter Park, Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell, District 3 County Commissioner Mayra Uribe, tech businessman Chris Messina and Randy Fust Jr.

The Orange County mayoral race is a nonpartisan race.