Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Florida gubernatorial candidate Jerry Demings has suspended his campaign after he disclosed his cancer diagnosis.

Demings, the mayor of Orange County, made the announcement surrounded by family members.

He said the cancer was discovered during a routine check up but it was caught in the early stages, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“I intend to continue running through the finish line as the mayor of Orange County,” said Demings, 66. “But in order for me to receive the treatment that I need, I’m going to have to come off the campaign trail.”

Demings is a Central Florida trailblazer.

He was the first African American to serve as Orlando’s police chief in 1998 and later served as the first African American Orange County Sheriff from 2008 to 2018.

That year, he was elected the first African American Orange County mayor, winning a second term in 2022.

His wife, Val Demings, is also a former Orlando police chief and congresswoman.