With Senator Marco Rubio announcing that he will run for president in 2016, his departure from the Senate will cause a political domino effect, leading many Republicans to worry that his Senate seat could be lost to the Democrats.
Several prominent Florida politicians have already expressed their intentions to run for Rubio’s seat, while others have considered a run but are not expected to jump into this soon-to-be contested Republican senatorial primary race.
Rep. Tom Rooney (R) is said to be strongly considering the race, as well as Rep. Vern Buchanan (R), and Rep. Curt Clawson (R), but all three men were not expected to officially enter the race, that was until Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, the top choice to replace Rubio, and whose Senate run was imminent, abruptly bowed out this past weekend.
Rooney could be feeling ready and may jump into the Senate race.
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R)—one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the antithesis of the Republican establishment—has also expressed his intentions to run for Rubio’s Senate seat and is expected to make his official senatorial announcement come within a couple days of Rubio’s April 13 announcement in Miami.
And let’s not forget about Rubio’s close amigo, who just happens to be Florida’s current Lt. Governor, Carlos Lopez-Cantera.
Lopez-Cantera, or “CLC,” is also expected to get into the Senate race.
Will Rubio back his fellow Cuban-American amigo, or will he stay out of this race? Remember, Rubio is tethered to this race, whether he likes it or not. If he doesn’t get the GOP presidential nomination, and Republicans lose his Senate seat, Rubio’s legacy will forever be tainted.
His political goose would be cooked.