Sen. Marco Rubio is taking official steps toward launching a Republican presidential campaign for 2016.

According to one of the senator's advisers who spoke to ABC News, Rubio has signed on a leading Republican fundraiser and currently has plans to travel to early-voting states in the coming weeks.

Rubio, a 43-year-old Cuban-American, is joined in the running as a viable Republican presidential candidate with fellow Florida Republican Jeb Bush, who moved toward candidacy early in January. H served in the Florida legislature while Bush was governor. The two Floridian Republicans may face early competition with each other, as they will look to many of the same donors from their home state to contribute to their campaigns.

Rubio hired Anna Rogers, finance director of the conservative group American Crossroads. Karl Rove, a former advisor to President George W. Bush, founded the organization. The group has helped raise over $200 million for Republicans. Rogers will start working for Rubio's political action committee on Feb. 1 as the financial director for the senator's presidential campaign.

Rubio also plans to meet with 300 donors and supporters at the Delano Hotel in Miami this weekend to discuss his campaign and his future political career.

Rubio will skip voting in the Senate next week in favor of traveling to California for campaign fundraising events in Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Rancho Sante Fe and Costa Mesa. He will also be making stops in Texas and Chicago. This is in addition to his book tour that takes him to all of the early primary states including Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida and Nevada. The fist stop is Des Moines on Feb. 13.

Other 2016 Republican hopefuls include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is also sparking conversation he may run again.

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