Florida is big enough for two potential presidential candidates, says Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.). Just because former Sunshine State governor Jeb Bush is testing the waters for 2016, Rubio says that won’t prevent him from jumping in either.
“We certainly know a lot of the same people, we also know some different people,” Rubio told NPR in a recent interview. “I don’t believe if I decide to run for president that that will be an impediment.”
In fact, he and his team are “closer to a decision than we were a month ago,” but did not layout a timetable for when he will decide.
“This is not a gut decision, this is one that one needs to make obviously on the basis of facts and reality and so I haven’t made a decision yet on it,” Rubio added.
Along with being from the same state, Bush and Rubio will likely share something else on the campaign trail if both choose to run: They will both have to address their positions immigration reform, which has been a sticking point among conservatives.
But, in recent weeks, Rubio has emerged as one of the leading voices in opposition to the Obama administration’s shift in its policy towards Cuba, which resulted in a fracas with another potential 2016 candidate. Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.), who supports the normalization of relations with Cuba, exchanged verbal blows with Rubio in the days after the administration’s announcement.