Versión Español
Senator Marco Rubio has officially announced he will be running for reelection in Florida in light of the status of the current presidential election, claiming he believed he needed to go back on his word “to act as a check and balance on the excesses of a president”.
Rubio filed his candidacy shortly before the Friday deadline.
“No matter who is elected for president,” he said, “there is reason for worry.”
Rubio’s announcement comes as a surprise for a few reasons. For one, he had previously stated he would either be assuming the presidency or living a private life. Secondly, because of how badly he lost the presidential primaries in his home state, many thought he would not run for reelection. It has also been said that Rubio was offered several high paying jobs that he turned down to run again.
The senator claimed the decision was made alongside his wife and four children over Father’s Day. Rubio said he was moved by the Orlando shootings as well. Many believe that his appeal to the massacre carried out on June 12th was a publicity stunt to gain support from voters.
Additionally, remaining a prominent voice in the Senate would make it much easier for Rubio to run in the 2020 presidential campaign.
As the Quinnipiac University Poll currently sits, the only GOP candidate that could defeat Democratic candidates Patrick Murphy or Alan Grayson would be Rubio. Murphy would lose the Florida seat by seven points and Grayson by eight.
Sources: USAToday, Washington Post.
