Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Gov. Jeb Bush would be a “very credible candidate” should he run for president — but insisted that Bush’s presence still isn’t going to affect Rubio’s own decision making process.
“I think Jeb Bush is going to be a very credible candidate,” Rubio said. “I think he’s going to raise a lot of money.” Rubio pointed to one figure floated in the press that Bush will try to raise $100 million for his leadership political action committee.
But Rubio added that he thinks he would be able to mount his own presidential campaign “irrespective of who else is in the race.”
Rubio, who said he has spoken to and emailed with Bush recently, will first need to decide whether to run for president or to seek re-election to the Senate.
“Both of those avenues have opportunities that are alluring,” Rubio said.
But he remained insistent that he will not run for president and re-election to the Senate concurrently.
“If you want to be president, that’s what you run for,” Rubio said. “My plan is not to run for president and, if I don’t succeed, qualify for the Senate.
“I’m down to the last decision and fundamental one: At this stage in my life, at this stage in my career, what is the best place to serve my country?” Rubio added.
Rubio made his remarks Wednesday at a breakfast in Washington hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
