Rubio Rules Out Run for Florida Governor: 'I'll Be a Private Citizen'
Thursday, 17 Mar 2016 03:16 PM
Marco Rubio said Thursday that he was not running for Florida governor, that he was not "going to be anybody's vice president" — and that he would finish out his Senate term and "be a private citizen in January."
"I'm not going to be anybody's vice president," the Florida senator told reporters in his first day on Capitol Hill after suspending his presidential campaign on Thursday. "I'm not interested in being vice president.
"I don't mean that in a disrespectful way," he said. "I don't want to be vice president."
Rubio, 44, ended his presidential run after losing to front-runner Donald Trump in the Sunshine State's primary. He had won the Minnesota caucuses and primaries in Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. — but otherwise has finished third or lower in most state contests.
He began his campaign in April.
"I'll finish out my term in the Senate," Rubio said Thursday, even ruling out a re-election bid. "We're going to work really hard here. We have some things we want to achieve. Then, I'll be a private citizen in January.
"I'm not running for re-election to the Senate," he told reporters. "I'm going to finish my term here and then I'll be a private citizen."
He did not have an endorsement Thursday, saying that "I don't have anything to announce today."
Rubio would only say that former rival Ted Cruz's "positions on issues are conservative — but I don't have anything further to elaborate."
Of John Kasich, the senator only said: "I like Gov. Kasich."
He said that the Republican Party would eventually unite behind either candidate to stop Trump "with the race narrowed further.
"I think would fracture the party and be damaging to the conservative movement," he added, referring to Trump as the nominee.
Rubio said he hasn't "thought through" all the speculation of a brokered convention in July in Cleveland to stop Trump, though he doesn't think the front-runner will be able to get the necessary 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.
"I don't believe Donald Trump will ever be able to do that," Rubio said. "That's my opinion.
"My campaign barely ended 48 hours ago," he said, adding that he was not planning to participate in the convention.
It's "certainly not anything we're planning on. If you go on to the convention and no one has the requisite number of delegates, then there are rules that account for it."
He dismissed Trump's prediction of riots if he does not receive the nomination.
"At this point, it's like a daily occurrence." Rubio said. "There isn't going to be any riots. It's a very unusual political year."
In reflecting on his campaign, the junior senator said that "we ran a race I'm very proud of from the messaging perspective. It's not what the electorate wanted."
"I'm not going to be anybody's vice president," the Florida senator told reporters in his first day on Capitol Hill after suspending his presidential campaign on Thursday. "I'm not interested in being vice president.
Rubio, 44, ended his presidential run after losing to front-runner Donald Trump in the Sunshine State's primary. He had won the Minnesota caucuses and primaries in Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. — but otherwise has finished third or lower in most state contests.
He began his campaign in April.
"I'll finish out my term in the Senate," Rubio said Thursday, even ruling out a re-election bid. "We're going to work really hard here. We have some things we want to achieve. Then, I'll be a private citizen in January.
"I'm not running for re-election to the Senate," he told reporters. "I'm going to finish my term here and then I'll be a private citizen."
He did not have an endorsement Thursday, saying that "I don't have anything to announce today."
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Rubio would only say that former rival Ted Cruz's "positions on issues are conservative — but I don't have anything further to elaborate."
He said that the Republican Party would eventually unite behind either candidate to stop Trump "with the race narrowed further.
"I think would fracture the party and be damaging to the conservative movement," he added, referring to Trump as the nominee.
Rubio said he hasn't "thought through" all the speculation of a brokered convention in July in Cleveland to stop Trump, though he doesn't think the front-runner will be able to get the necessary 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.
"I don't believe Donald Trump will ever be able to do that," Rubio said. "That's my opinion.
"My campaign barely ended 48 hours ago," he said, adding that he was not planning to participate in the convention.
He dismissed Trump's prediction of riots if he does not receive the nomination.
"At this point, it's like a daily occurrence." Rubio said. "There isn't going to be any riots. It's a very unusual political year."
In reflecting on his campaign, the junior senator said that "we ran a race I'm very proud of from the messaging perspective. It's not what the electorate wanted."
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