Marco Rubio 2016: Senator Considering April 13 Campaign Launch at Miami Landmark Known as the 'Ellis Island of the South'
Marco Rubio is apparently considering announcing a 2016 run for the White House as early as April 13, Politico reported. The Florida senator is eyeing the Freedom Tower, a historic Miami landmark known as the "Ellis Island of the South," to launch his campaign, the Washington publication detailed.
The building is reserved for 5:30 p.m. on that date, which happens to be Thomas Jefferson's birthday, the Miami Herald said. Rubio is the son of Cubans who left the island in the 1950s and who worked as a bartender and hotel maid, and the historic location could highlight his personal story, Bloomberg noted.
The 43-year-old would be the third Republican to formally enter the field. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off his presidential run on March 23 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, while Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is set to announce his bid at Louisville's Galt House Hotel on April 7, according to Politico.
Two unidentified Republicans familiar with Rubio's plans confirmed on Saturday that April 13 is under consideration for the senator's campaign kickoff, Bloomberg said. An adviser, also unnamed, cautioned, however, that the date was not locked down and that both the timing and the Freedom Tower location could change, the business publication added.
The Miami Heat play against the Orlando Magic that evening at American Airlines Arena, which sits right across the former U.S. clearinghouse for Cuban exiles, "raising the prospect of a traffic nightmare." The Rubio camp, consequently, is also considering alternative locations, Politico revealed.
Rubio's fellow Floridian, former Gov. Jeb Bush, meanwhile, "appears to be in no rush to shift more formally into campaign mode," the Miami Herald noted. The two live a few miles apart in Miami, but Rubio has said his friendship with Bush would not keep him from jumping into the 2016 race, according to the New York Times.
"If I don't run, it won't be because Jeb is running," the senator told the newspaper in December.
Rubio last visited the Freedom Tower on Feb. 9 to celebrate graduates of a small business program funded by Goldman Sachs at Miami-Dade College, which owns the building, Politico recalled.
"The American dream isn't about how much money you make or about how much you own. The American dream is about being happy," he said then. "Anyone from anywhere can accomplish anything. You can dream big," Rubio added.
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