With 2016 around the corner, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) will be hosting the Sunshine Summit in Orlando from Nov. 12-Nov. 14 and the stakes will be high. The presidential hopefuls will take most of the spotlight but there’s another important race already taking shape as Rubio has said he will not run for a second Senate term. Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis, David Jolly, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Todd Wilcox are already off and running and they will be at the Sunshine Summit trying to win support for their Senate bids.
Continuing over the next few days, Sunshine State News will look at the presidential hopefuls who will be on stage at the Sunshine Summit and what is at stake as they take their messages to Republicans across Florida.
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Marco Rubio heads to the Sunshine Summit next week looking to nail down support in his backyard.
Even with some conservatives remaining unhappy with him over immigration reform, Rubio remains strong among Florida Republicans, with most polls showing him remaining popular with his base in his home state. After a series of strong debate performances, Rubio has started to gain traction, though he still remains behind Donald Trump and Ben Carson in the polls.
Rubio kicks off the series of presidential candidates speaking on Friday, Nov. 13 and his mission is simple: win over Jeb Bush supporters. Bush tried going after Rubio in the third presidential debate last month, but he failed badly. Rubio was shrewd enough to dismiss Bush and not get into a shoving match with the former governor.
But with Rubio’s rise comes increased scrutiny. The national media are starting to look at his use of an RPOF credit card and his financial dealings, including the home he owned with scandal-plagued South Florida Republican David Rivera. Rubio is also starting to draw fire from Trump on his finances.
The Miamian has some strengths, including being a strong speaker who connects with audiences. With Hispanics playing a major role in key states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada, Rubio should be able to help Republicans turn things around with that growing population. Democrats are starting to go on the attack against Rubio and James Carville opined last week that the senator from Florida would be the only Republican hopeful he thinks could break 45 percent of the vote. Rubio also is far younger than Hillary Clinton and, if nominated, would be the first member of Generation X to be on the top of a major presidential ticket.
With Scott Walker already out and Bush fading, Rubio wants to make the case that he is the most electable of the Republican candidates still standing. He also wants to knock his old friend and ally Bush out of the race. Polls show if Bush drops out, Rubio gets a boost in Florida.
That being the case, Rubio has a bit of a tightrope to walk at the Sunshine Summit. Rubio doesn’t want to push too hard against Bush as he looks to pick up the former governor’s support. At the same time, he doesn’t want to look weak either, though Rubio’s had no problem pushing back against Trump when he has gone on the attack. Rubio’s handling of Bush at the third debate was exactly what he needed to do. If Bush turns up the heat on Rubio again, look for the senator to try to repeat his earlier performance.
Rubio wants to leave a good impression with Bush backers at the Sunshine Summit. Even if Bush stays in the race through Iowa and New Hampshire, Rubio can reel in most of those supporters later on, in time for the Florida primary in March. Rubio can get a good start on that front when he takes the stage at the Sunshine Summit.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
