Trey Gowdy, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks during a town hall meeting in Pella, Iowa, on Dec. 30, 2015. | Getty Rubio unleashes congressional surrogates as clock ticks down to Iowa

Marco Rubio’s campaign is dispatching allies to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to make the case that the junior senator from Florida is the only viable alternative to Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the race for the GOP nomination.

With just three weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Rubio’s congressional surrogates are carrying Rubio’s message that he represents the next era of Republican leadership and presenting him as the face of the party’s future.


House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah hammered that message home at a campaign event last week in Columbia, South Carolina.

“It’s time for a change here, and we need a new generation that can articulate these kinds of conservative values,” Chaffetz said as he introduced Rubio. “So, it takes time out of our day and away from our families, but I can tell you this: I am honored, I am proud to be endorsing Marco Rubio as the next president of the United States. We need somebody who can be that intellectual leader. This country needs somebody who can be that trustworthy conservative who can articulate the aspirations of a new generation.”

When Rubio launched his bid for president, few of his congressional colleagues rushed to endorse him. Now, with most of the 2016 contenders who might occupy the establishment lane of the primary contest struggling to break out, the Florida Republican has secured more than two dozen House Republicans and a handful of senators — many relatively new to Congress and younger in age — to support his 2016 bid.

Rubio boasted about the work he has been doing with the younger generation of lawmakers at the campaign event with Chaffetz.

“If we had more people like this in Washington, people like [Chaffetz], [Rep.] Trey Gowdy, [Sen.] Tim Scott, we could really change the direction of our country,” Rubio said in his opening comments, referencing two up-and-coming stars of the Republican Party, both from South Carolina. “Part of this campaign is bringing in new people into the conservative movement, and that’s what we hope to achieve throughout this campaign.”

Gowdy has endorsed Rubio. Scott, one of the most sought-after South Carolina political endorsements in the 2016 GOP primary, has not yet officially backed a candidate.

Rubio’s operation is also pushing out surrogates when the Florida Republican can’t be out on the trail. For instance, Tennessee Rep. Zach Wamp was scheduled to meet with New Hampshire voters Tuesday as a counter to Cruz’s activity in the state. Wamp, who leads Rubio’s effort in Tennessee, is slated to do interviews and grass-roots voter contact in New Hampshire.

Rubio is also looking to freshman Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner and South Dakota Rep. Kristi Noem to team up for an Iowa debate party Thursday night. The pair are scheduled to do campaign events Friday before Rubio joins them on Saturday.

That follows Chaffetz campaigning with Rubio in New Hampshire and South Carolina and Gowdy campaigning earlier this month with him in Iowa.

“These conservative leaders have stepped up to join Marco because they know we cannot afford to lose this election,” Rubio spokeswoman Caitlin Conant said. “They know that Marco is a proud conservative with a consistent record that all Americans can trust, and we’re thankful that many are willing to travel with Marco or on their own to share his story with voters across the country.”

While Rubio has been picking up more congressional endorsements, Jeb Bush still maintains the largest number of congressional supporters. Bush has four senators and 26 House Republicans, including 11 members of the Florida delegation.

GOP front-runner Trump still hasn’t gotten a single congressional endorsement, and Cruz hasn’t gotten the official backing of any of his Senate colleagues. Cruz has the support of a loyal band of House conservatives, including Rep. Steve King of Iowa, who has been campaigning across the state for the Texas Republican.

Rubio supporters said they expect more lawmakers to go to Iowa and New Hampshire on his behalf as the caucuses and primary approach. And Rubio’s operation is counting on this next generation of Republican lawmakers not only to energize voters but also to draw new campaign contributions.

The campaign held a fundraiser before the State of the Union on Tuesday evening with an invitation listing all of his congressional supporters, including Sens. Steve Daines of Montana and Jim Risch of Idaho.

