Marco Rubio might be having a change of heart about not running for re-election

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

last updated 16 June 2016

During his failed bid for the White House, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said he would not seek re-election to the Senate, but on Wednesday, he announced he's contemplating entering the race after all.

Rubio said he started to reconsider his decision Sunday after talking with his friend, Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera (R). "Obviously, I take very seriously everything that's going on — not just Orlando, but in our country," he said. "I enjoy my service here a lot. So I'll go home later this week, and I'll have some time with my family, and then if there's been a change in our status I'll be sure to let everyone know."

Lopez-Cantera, who is running to succeed Rubio in the Senate, revealed to Politico he told Rubio to think about his decision, and promised to drop out of the race if Rubio chooses to run for re-election. If Rubio does have a change of heart, it will come a month after he tweeted: "I have only said like 10000 times I will be a private citizen in January." The primary election is on Aug. 30, and there is a June 24 deadline for declaring his candidacy. Read more about the other Florida Republicans Rubio could face in the primary at The Washington Post.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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