Freshman Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is the CPAC Chicago favorite to be Mitt Romney’s running mate. The Florida Senator won the poll with 30 percent of the vote. He also won a similar straw poll at CPAC in Washington in February.
American Conservative Union President Al Cardenas found the similar results between the Midwestern demographic that participated in the CPAC Chicago poll and the CPAC poll in Washington of a largely Northeastern demographic of particular interest.
Rubio, however, has repeatedly denied having an interest in the GOP’s number two slot.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was the runner up with 14 percent of the vote. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., came in third with 9 percent of the vote. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., received 8 percent of the vote. And Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum rounded out the bottom with 7 and 5 percent respectively.
