Marco Rubio Will Seek Re-Election to the Senate in Florida, Reneging on Plans to Bow Out

Impact

Sen. Marco Rubio backtracked on a pledge not to seek re-election to his Florida Senate seat on Wednesday, telling his colleagues he will now seek a second term, according to the National Review, which first reported the news.

Rubio will reportedly make the announcement Wednesday afternoon, two days before the deadline to enter the race, according to the Washington Post.

The Florida Republican, who ran an unsuccessful bid for the presidency this year, had said he had no plans to run again for his Senate seat.

In fact, he was adamant he wouldn't be a Senate candidate as recently as last month, when he vowed he would be a "private citizen" come January, when his current term expires.

He's also bashed the Senate as a place where little gets done.

"We're not going to fix America with senators and congressmen," Rubio said in January, when he was an active presidential candidate.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Rubio to reconsider, believing the current crop of Republicans running for the seat are not well positioned to win in November.

Winning Florida's Senate seat is crucial for Republicans, who are trying to protect their majority. Many of the seats up for re-election are held by Republicans in states President Barack Obama carried in the previous two presidential election years.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows Rubio with a 7- and 8-point lead over his two potential Democratic challengers, Reps. Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson, respectively.

Read More: