Reports: Marco Rubio jumps into 2016 presidential race

Catalina Camia | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential run: Why it matters USA TODAY's Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page lists four reasons Marco Rubio is worth watching in the 2016 presidential race.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a telegenic rising star with appeal to conservative and establishment Republicans, told donors in a conference call Monday that he will run for president, according to multiple news reports.

Rubio told his supporters he feels "uniquely qualified" to be the standard-bearer who can show the GOP will defend the American Dream, the Associated Press reported. CNN and NBC News cite unnamed sources who have divulged Rubio's plans.

The senator is set to hold a rally this evening at Miami's Freedom Tower, billed as the "Ellis Island of the South" for Cuban immigrants.

The 43-year-old senator elected in 2010 is now the third Republican in the race, joining Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. All three were elected with Tea Party support.

"With Marco Rubio's formal entry into the campaign, there is one more strong voice advancing the cause of freedom," said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who went to law school with Rubio, said the expanding field is good for the GOP as it seeks to take back the White House. "He's a rising star in our party," Priebus said this morning on WTOP radio. "And he's a sharp contrast to Hillary Clinton, who right now voters look to as untrustworthy."

Cruz welcomed Rubio into the race. "Marco is a friend and colleague whom I greatly respect," the Texas senator said in a statement. "He is a strong addition to the Republican field, and he will undoubtedly elevate the debate for all of us."

Rubio gave a preview of his campaign themes in a video released late last week, using clips of speeches discussing the need for a "new American century." He has said concerns about maintaining American exceptionalism and the United States' standing in the world were foremost in his mind as he considered a 2016 race.

"I honestly believe that the country is at a moment in its history where the choices it makes over the next four to six years is going to determine the identity of our nation moving forward and the choice before us is: Will it remain a special country?" Rubio said during a recent Fox News interview.

Rubio's announcement comes the day after Hillary Clinton made her long-awaited entry into the race. Throughout the run-up to his campaign launch, the Florida senator has made little secret that he will make contrasts with the former secretary of State as the "architect of a failed foreign policy."

Alex Conant, a Rubio spokesman, said the senator was unconcerned about Clinton stepping on his thunder.

"When Marco takes the stage on Monday night, Hillary will literally and figuratively be yesterday's candidate," Conant said.

A presidential campaign underscores Rubio's rapid rise on the national stage and gives him a chance to highlight a narrative shaped by his immigrant parents, who left Cuba. He was on Mitt Romney's short list of potential running mates and earned national attention for his 2013 response to President Obama's State of the Union Address.

Rubio could be in a position to attract Hispanic voters who overwhelmingly supported Obama in 2012, giving Romney the smallest share of the Latino vote of any GOP nominee in the last three presidential elections. Whit Ayres, a top Republican pollster and adviser to Rubio, said the senator is a "transformational" candidate with wide appeal across generations and ethnic groups.

"Marco Rubio is the Michael Jordan of American politics," Ayres told reporters at a recent breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. "Anyone underestimates his ability at their peril."

Nathan Gonzales, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report said Rubio "doesn't fit the typical Republican stereotype of being an old white Republican." With his immigrant roots, Rubio "has an opportunity to connect with voters through his own story," Gonzales said.

After arriving in the Senate as part of the 2010 Tea Party wave, Rubio made a name for himself by working in a bipartisan group to overhaul the nation's immigration laws.

The bill's attempt to provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants already in the United States angered conservatives. Rubio spent much of the past year backing off his support of the measure and trying to repair his relationships with the GOP base.

Dario Moreno, a political science professor at Florida International University, said his friend and teaching partner has qualities that give him an edge in the race.

"He's one of the people running that has a broader appeal within the different factions that make up the party," Moreno said. "He brings youthful energy and thoughtfulness. He doesn't shoot from the hip and is looking at the future, not so much the past."

Rubio has been a vocal critic of Obama's approach to foreign policy, on everything from his handling of Iran and tensions in the Middle East to the threat from the Islamic State. He denounced Obama's steps to normalize relations with the Communist regime in Cuba and has clashed with GOP rival Paul on the issue.

Rubio counts among his mentors Jeb Bush, who has yet to officially jump into the race, and said the former Florida governor's candidacy would not impact his decision. He has said he's confident of raising money and putting together staff to show his will be a credible campaign.

"The more quality people who run for president the better, because it gives us a chance to debate these ideas," Rubio told CBS News.

With his entry in the presidential race, Rubio will spark a competitive race in Florida for the Senate seat he now holds. State law forbids him from running for both offices at the same time, and Rubio has said he would not try to preserve his options for re-election if chose to seek the White House.

Contributing: Susan Page in Washington and Alan Gomez in Miami.

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