Is there room enough in the Republican presidential primary for two Florida politicians?
Sen. Marco Rubio thinks so.
Responding on Tuesday to Gov. Jeb Bush’s announcement that he will explore a potential bid for the presidency in 2016, a spokesman for Rubio said the Florida senator will weigh whether to run for president independent of Bush’s decision.
“Marco has a lot of respect for Gov. Bush and believes he would be a formidable candidate,” said Alex Conant, a spokesman for Rubio. “However, Marco’s decision on whether to run for president or re-election will be based on where he can best achieve his agenda to restore the American Dream — not on who else might be running.”
Bush, who in recent weeks has been hinting he might consider a bid for the presidency, announced Tuesday on Facebook that he has “decided to actively explore the possibility of running for president of the United States.”
Bush and Rubio do not occupy the same ideological space among Republicans, with Bush — who has occasionally been referred to as a mentor to Rubio — seen as the more moderate and Establishment politician of the two. But they would likely face stiff competition for support from party donors with ties to Florida.
Rubio is up for re-election in 2016 and must decide whether to mount a bid for a second Senate term or run for president.
Florida law does not permit him to run for both.
