Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio was an American politician who ran, albeit unsuccessfully, for the Republican nomination during the 2016 Presidential election. Born and raised to Cuban immigrants in Miami, Florida, Rubio was a bright student in high school, as well as a star football player. Despite having a strong interest in politics, Rubio accepted a football scholarship to a small college in Missouri when he turned 18.

After a year, however, Rubio came to the realization that despite his love of the game, there was no clear path to play in the NFL. With that in mind, Rubio enrolled in the University of Florida where he studied political science. He earned his B.A. from the university in 1993, and shortly thereafter enrolled in the University of Miami School of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 1996.

After completing his education, Rubio wasted no time in jumpstarting his political career. At 26 he became a City Commissioner in his West Miami neighborhood, and two years later became a member of the Florida House of Representatives. Rubio spent eight years in the Florida House, eventually rising to become the youngest Speaker in Florida history. He left state politics in 2008 due to term limits. Rubio spent the next two years starting a new law firm, as well as teaching law classes at Florida International University. His burning desire for public service, however, never left him.

That said, when U.S. Senator Mel Martinez announced that he would not seek reelection in 2009, Rubio jumped at the chance to fill his seat. Rubio eventually won the election, thanks in part to his support among Tea Party members, after a long fought battle with Florida's incumbent Republican Governor Charlie Crist. Rubio's time in the United States senate was marked by his support of a bi-partisan immigration reform bill known as the "Gang of Eight." Despite its passing in the Senate, however, the bill never made it to a vote in the House of Representatives, thus crushing what would have eventually become the young Senator's most important legislative achievement.

Undeterred, and insatiable in his drive to do more, in April of 2015, at the age of 44, Rubio announced that he was seeking the Republican party's nomination for the President of the United States. Although an early frontrunner for the nomination, Rubio's candidacy was diminished by a saturated electoral field (16 additional Republicans had also announced their candidacies), as well as the unexpected rise of the real estate mogul/reality TV star Donald Trump.

After a number of disappointing losses in early primary states, and after losing the primary in his home state of Florida, on March 15, 2016 Rubio announced that he was suspending his campaign for President. Rubio had also decided to not seek a second term as a United States Senator from Florida, thus leaving the course of his political future in a state of unanticipated limbo.