Marco Rubio raised $5.5 million in the seven weeks since he launched his Senate re-election bid, his campaign said Thursday.
In a press release, the incumbent Florida Republican said since July 1 he has hauled in $3.25 million. This includes $2.2 million raised between his announcement to jump back into the Senate race on June 22 and June 30.
Rubio’s campaign has $4.6 million cash on hand as of Aug. 10, his campaign said, adding all donations were direct contributions.
Rubio, who ended his presidential campaign with $5.5 million in the bank in March, had long said he wouldn’t run for re-election. But he reversed his decision in June.
“In politics, admitting you’ve changed your mind is not something most people like to do. But here it goes,” Rubio said in a statement. “I have decided to seek re-election to the United States Senate. I understand my opponents will try to use this decision to score political points against me. Have at it. Because I have never claimed to be perfect, or to have all the answers.”
In head-to-head matchup with possible Democratic foe Rep. Patrick Murphy of Florida, Rubio leads by less than 6 points in one of the races that could determine which party controls the Senate. According to a RealClearPolitics average of polls, Rubio has 47.2 percent and Murphy has 41.4 percent.
The primary elections for both Republicans and Democrats in Florida are Aug. 30.
