Marco Rubio is starting to feel the heat from his fellow Republicans to run for a second term in the Senate and abandon his presidential hopes.
Rubios going to have to make a decision on 2016 soon. The national media have reported in recent days that the NRSC and others are starting to put the squeeze on Rubio to run for re-election where, admittedly, he would be the favorite to beat whoever the Democrats run against him.
There are plenty of arguments as to why Rubio would put aside, at least for the moment, his presidential aspirations. Conservatives arent happy with him on immigration. Jeb Bush, with whom Rubio has been allied over the years, is far more active in the presidential race, claiming resources and funds the senator from Florida needs in order to wage a serious campaign. Rubio is only 43; his chance at the White House could come.
But Rubio also has plenty of reasons to run for president. This is easily the most open Republican presidential primary in decades. Rubio is one of the few Republican candidates -- Scott Walker and possibly John Kasich are others -- who should be acceptable to most factions within the GOP. Being a Hispanic with charisma from a swing state only helps Rubios chances.
Look for the pressure to mount on Rubio to run for a second term in the coming weeks. Republicans might have captured the Senate in November but the map does favor them in 2016. Plenty of Republican senators -- Mark Kirk in Illinois, Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire, Rob Portman in Ohio, Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin -- will be targets for the Democrats. With the big exception of Harry Reid in Nevada, there arent that many sitting Democrats who will be vulnerable in 2016.
That being the case, Florida looks important for Republican chances to keep the Senate. Rubio is easily a better bet for the GOP to keep the seat in its column than the likes of Jeff Atwater, Adam Putnam, Will Weatherford or Vern Buchanan. Democrats dont win statewide races that often in Florida but Barack Obama carried the state twice and Bill Nelson has strung together three straight wins for his Senate seat. It might be tough for Debbie Wasserman Schultz or Alan Grayson to flip the seat but a lot of Democrats are excited about the prospects of Patrick Murphy and Gwen Graham.
In short, Rubio offers Republicans their best chance for keeping this seat which could be a major factor in how the Senate goes in the 2016 elections. Even as he continues to get attention in Iowa and New Hampshire, Republicans will keep up the pressure for Rubio to stay where he is.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
