ADRIAN: ALL RIGHT, IN COMMITMENT 2020 THIS MORNING, THE AUGUST PRIMARY IS JUST OVER A MONTH AWAY. ONE OF THE BIG RACES WERE FOCUSING ON THIS ELECTION SEASON IS THE CONTEST FOR STATE ATTORNEY IN ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES. WESH 2 NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX JOINS US LIVE AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING. GREG, THE DEATH PENALTY IS A MAJOR ISSUE FOR THIS RACE. GREG: YOU ARE RIGHT, IT IS. THERE ARE FOUR DEMOCRATS HOPING TO REPLACE ARAMIS AYALA, WHO AS YOU KNOW IS NOT SEEKING REELECTION AFTER SERVING ONE TEAM IN -- ONE TERM IN OFFICE. SHE MADE NATIONAL HEADLINES IN 2017 WHEN SHE ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WOULD NOT SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY IN ANY CASE AND THE DECISION PROMPTED THE THEN GOVERNOR TO REASSIGN CAPITAL CASES TO ANOTHER PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE AND WHEN SHE FOUGHT THE MOVE, SHE LOST THAT THESE -- AT THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT. I SPOKE WITH THE CONTENDERS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY REVIEW PANEL THAT SHE HAS SINCE SET UP. DELVING PERRY SAYS THAT HE AND TWO OTHERS IN THE OFFICE WOULD REVIEW THEM AND PROSECUTOR RYAN WILLIAMS SAID HE WOULD CONSULT THE PANEL BUT THAT OATH WOULD MAKE THE FINAL DECISION WITH NO COMMITTEE VOTE. PROSECUTOR DEBORAH VARA SAID THAT SHE WOULD SEEK DEATH ONLY IF THE PANEL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY FOR IT. THE FORMER STAFFER WOULD EXPAND THE PANEL TO INCLUDE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. >> AFTER LISTENING TO THEIR OPINION, I WOULD SAY YAY ORNATE. IT NEEDS TO LIE WITH THE STATE ATTORNEY THAT WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTY FOR THE DECISION I WILL MAKE. >> IF YOU CAN’T CONVINCE A GROUP OF PROSECUTORS TO SEEK DEATH ON SOMEBODY, YOU SHOULDN’T BE TRYING TO CONVINCE CITIZENS THAT THIS PERSON SHOULD RECEIVE THE DEATH PENALTY. >> IT ILL INCLUDE PROSECUTORS, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION IS MINE TO MAKE. I CANNOT, YOU KNOW, DEFERRED THE DECISION TO ANYONE ELSE. >> I WOULD USE THE PANEL, BUT NO ONE PERSON WOULD HAVE A VETO AND THE ULTIMATE DECISION WOULD BE MINE. IF ELECTED TO STATE ATTORNEY, I WOULD BE THE MOST EXPERIENCED ONE IN THE OFFICE. GREG: WE WILL HAVE MORE PROFILES ON THIS IN THE WEEKS AHEAD LEADING UP TO THE AUGUST 18 PRIMARY AND OF COURSE, THE WINNER GOES UP AGAINST THE INDEPENDENT LOCAL ATTORNEY IN NOVEMBER. ADRIAN: A BIG WEEK FOR VOTERS, TELL US ABOUT THAT. GREG: 100 AND 40,000 MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE GOING OUT ACROSS THE STATE. PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO START LOADING AS SOON AS THIS WEEKEND. AND THEN WE HAVE THE START OF EARLY VOTING AUGUST 3 LEADING UP TO THE AUGUST 18 PRIMARY. ADRIAN: OF COURSE THEY HAVE SAFETY PROTOCOLS. HOW ARE THE COUNTIES PAYING FOR THE PPE FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO VOTE IN PERSON? GREG: WE SAW A LOT OF THAT DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY ELECTION IN MARCH. MASKS, GLOVES, AT ALL COSTS MONEY AND WHEN YOU ARE DOING MUCH LARGER ELECTIONS YOU ARE OF COURSE HAVING TO DEAL WITH EARLY VOTING AS WELL. $20 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS COMING TO FLORIDA, SPREADING OUT THROUGH THE COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE, THEY ARE USING THAT THE PURCHASE PPE AND IF YOU GO INTO FOR EXAMPLE VARIOUS ELECTION OFFICES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA YOU WILL SEE THEY HAVE SHINY NEW PLASTIC PARTITIONS TO TRY TO KEEP SEPARATION FROM STAFF AND VOTERS. THEY WILL HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR AT THE PRECINCTS IN EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS AS WELL. ADRIAN: NATIONALLY, LAST NIGHT VAL DEMINGS WAS ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW," SHE IS RUMORED TO BE ON THE SHORTLIST TO BE THE JOE BIDEN RUNNING MATE. WE WANT TO PLAY A CLIP OF HER FROM THE SHOW. TAKE A LISTEN. >> I KNEW THAT IF I HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING THE CRIME RATE, WE KNOW WHAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE SAID. FIRST WOMAN CHIEF? A BLACK WOMAN? SHE CAN’T HANDLE THE JOB. PERHAPS THEY MIGHT HAVE SAID THAT. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE CRISIS, I FOCUSED ON THE OPPORTUNITY. I REORGANIZED AND DISBANDED SOME DYSFUNCTIONAL UNITS. WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND WERE ABLE TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME BY OVER 40%. ADRIAN: SHE WAS OF COURSE THE POLICE CHIEF FROM 2007 TO 2011 IN ORLANDO. HOW WILL TALKING ABOUT CRIME AND BEING ON THE TONIGHT SHOW HELP HER TO MAKE HER CASE FOR VICE PRESIDENT? GREG: WELL FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY WE KNOW HEARST -- WELL, WE KNOW HER STORY AND ABOUT HER LEADERSHIP IN ORLANDO. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS, BUT THE REST OF THE NATION, REALLY THEIR FIRST LOOK AT HER WAS WHEN SHE WAS ONE OF THE HOUSE PROSECUTORS, ONE OF THE HOUSE MANAGERS, ESSENTIALLY, IN THE IMPEACHMENT OF THE PRESIDENT. THAT’S ALL THEY SAW, THIS VERY SERIOUS SIDE AND FORTUNATELY LAST NIGHT ON THE TONIGHT SHOW THERE WERE SOME MINOR MOMENTS THAT GAVE THE NATIONAL AUDIENCE A CHANCE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HUMAN SIDE OF VAL DEMINGS. I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT RESUMES AND READ ARTICLES, THEY GET A SENSE OF PEOPLE, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO SEE THEM AND HEAR THEM TO GET A GOOD FEEL FOR WHETHER OR NOT THAT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD FIT FOR JOE BIDEN IN THIS CASE AS A RUNNING MATE. ADRI