Story highlights Rubio currently sits third in the delegate race for the GOP nomination

Donald Trump holds a firm lead in the race

Washington (CNN) Marco Rubio's best hope for winning the GOP primary might rest on a contested convention, but in 2012, the Florida senator warned such a process would be a "disaster" for the party.

In two separate cable interviews in spring 2012, Rubio said it was time for the party to recognize that Mitt Romney would be the nominee.

"The primary's over, I mean, by the admission of the candidates who have admitted they can't win the primary," Rubio told CNN's Jim Acosta. "They've said the only way they can win is at a floor fight in Tampa. And I think that a floor fight in Tampa would be the worst possible thing we can do in terms of winning in November."

Rubio currently sits third in the delegate race for the GOP nomination, and his team is preparing for a contested convention if no candidate gets the necessary number of delegates to win outright.

Donald Trump holds a firm lead in the race, and has won most of the states that have so far. Rubio has won only a single state, Minnesota.

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