Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio received his sixth endorsement from a sitting U.S. senator Tuesday, and one that could help propel him to victory in the first-in-the-south primary.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott endorsed the Florida senator early Tuesday morning, following Rubio’s third place finish in the Iowa caucuses.
“I am putting my confidence and my trust in Marco Rubio, because I believe that he takes us to that better future,” Scott said in a video released by the Rubio campaign. “Marco Rubio understands that here in America, it’s not about where you start, it’s about where you are going.”
Scott, a popular figure in the GOP and the only African-American Republican in the Senate, claims his party has “one shot in 2016” to beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who he believes will emerge as the Democratic nominee.
“That shot is Marco Rubio, and with him as our candidate, we win,” Scott said.
“Tim is a leader not just in South Carolina, but around the country,” Rubio told Fox News on Tuesday, reacting to Scott’s endorsement. “He embodies the American Dream, he embodies so much of what our party needs to be about.”
“I’m a huge admirer of his and I think his impact is going to be not just in South Carolina, but across the country,” he added.
It is likely that both Scott and South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, who’s also endorsed Rubio, will join the Florida senator on the campaign trail as the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary draws nearer.
