People in the news

Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

U.S. Senator (since January 2011)

Why He Matters

Former Florida State House Speaker Rubio shot from national oblivion to stardom in 2010 as the underdog winner of the Senate seat vacated by Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), in a closely- watched race against Gov. Charlie Crist.

After purposely staying out of the limelight during the first months of the 112th Congress, Rubio again became the center of attention at the end of March 2011 when he vocalized strong opinions about both the United States' domestic and foreign agenda.

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At a Glance

  • Career History: Florida state representative, including speaker, majority whip and majority leader (2000-2008); former Florida GOPAC chairman
  • Birthday: May 28, 1971
  • Hometown: Miami, Fla.
  • Alma Mater: B.S., University of Florida, 1993; University of Miami, J.D., 1996.
  • Spouse: Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio
  • Religion: Roman Catholic
  • Committees : Commerce, Science and Transportation ; Foreign Relations ; Select Committee on Intelligence ; Small Business and Entrepreneurship
 

Path to Power

Rubio was born in Miami to parents who fled Cuba after Communist leader Fidel Castro's takeover.

Rubio described his upbringing, partly in Miami and partly in Las Vegas, as "working class." His father worked a bartender for most of Rubio's childhood, and his mother was a hotel housekeeper and later a Kmart stock clerk.

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The Issues

Rubio's key focus has long been tax and budget initiatives. While speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Rubio proposed replacing the state property tax with a sales tax.

During his time in the Florida House, Rubio also promoted efforts to develop public-school curricula through increased performance-based accountability.

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The Network

In his initial 2010 primary with Gov. Charlie Crist, Rubio picked up a number of conservative endorsements, including 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) endorsed Rubio in February 2010.

When it became obvious that he would lose, Crist ultimately dropped out of the GOP primary and ran as an independent (that didn't help, either).