Continuing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is showcasing his family story in a new TV ad.
Rubio’s presidential campaign is launching a new TV spot in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, states that hold early primaries and caucuses. The new ad highlights Rubio’s father’s work as a bartender and how it shapes his son’s life many years later. The ad was released by Rubio’s team on Tuesday and will hit the airwaves on Thursday.
“My father stood behind a small portable bar in the back of a room for all those years so that I could stand behind this podium in front of this room in this nation," Rubio says in the ad. "That journey from behind that bar to behind this podium, that's the essence of the American Dream."
Rubio hopes the ad will help boost his stock in the early states. Recent polls have shown Rubio is one of the four strongest Republican hopefuls in the key early states.
Quinnipiac University released a poll of Iowa Republicans on Tuesday showing Rubio in fourth place in Iowa. Businessman Donald Trump takes 25 percent with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right behind him at 23 percent. Dr. Ben Carson, who led a Qunnipiac poll of Iowa last month, places third with 18 percent with Rubio taking 11 percent and the rest of the field in single digits.
CBS News released a series of polls of early states this past weekend and Trump led Iowa with 30 percent, Cruz took second with 21 percent while Carson pulled 19 percent and Rubio rounded up 11 percent. Trump was also ahead in CBS News’ poll of New Hampshire with 32 percent followed by Rubio with 13 percent and Carson and Cruz tied with 10 percent each. CBS News also looked at South Carolina where Trump led with 35 percent followed by Carson with 19 percent, Rubio with 16 percent and Cruz with 13 percent.
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