NATIONAL
February 12, 2013 | By Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the fresh face Republicans chose to respond to the State of the Union address, sounded familiar party themes Tuesday night, accusing President Obama of stifling economic growth through an overreliance on taxes and spending. The opportunity "to make it to the middle class or beyond, no matter where you start out in life, it isn't bestowed on us from Washington," Rubio said in his nationally broadcast remarks, but comes from "a vibrant economy. " That is something presidents in both parties, from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, have recognized, Rubio said.
NEWS
August 14, 2012 | By Kim Geiger
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Connie Mack IV won the Florida Republican primary Tuesday night and will take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in what will be one of the most contested U.S. Senate races of the year. Mack, a four-term congressman who is married to Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs), handily defeated retired Army Col. Mike McCalister and former Rep. Dave Weldon in a Republican primary that was never much of a contest. With 35% of the vote counted, Mack had almost 60% of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
NATIONAL
April 24, 2012 | By Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times
CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Marco Rubio took the stage with Mitt Romney and delivered what the presidential candidate wanted - a jolt of energy aimed at an uninspired Republican base and a message of inclusion to Latino voters, who have drifted away from the party in droves. Monday's appearance by Rubio, a Florida senator and possible vice presidential pick who has become one of his party's most prominent Latino leaders, drew cheers and applause from the crowd. But it was also a reminder of competing imperatives facing Romney after a combative primary season in which he moved far to the right on illegal immigration, a key concern for many Latino voters.
OPINION
October 30, 2011
The biography of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is the story of America. He is the son of Cuban immigrants who came to the United States in 1956 in search of economic opportunities and who worked hard to give their children a better life than the one they left behind. Years later, Rubio would enter politics and become a star in the national Republican Party. It's an inspiring life story, but oddly, it's not the one that Rubio has invoked in recent years. Instead, the freshman senator has been telling a different story, portraying his parents as exiles from the brutal regime of Fidel Castro.
NEWS
May 26, 2011 | By Michael Muskal
Both of Florida's senators are looking very strong, but not Gov. Rick Scott, according to a Quinnipiac University poll. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, has a commanding lead over three potential Republican challengers in 2012, according to the poll released on Thursday; the closest any of the challengers comes is 20 percentage points behind. When those polled were asked to pick among the three Republicans seeking that party's Senate nomination, a staggering 64% said they didn't know.
NEWS
November 2, 2010 | By Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Marco Rubio, a "tea party" movement favorite, was elected to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily winning a three-way race that included Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a one-time rising star in the Republican Party. The victory means a conservative will take over the Senate seat now held by a more moderate Republican. The Senate's division between the major parties won't change, but the GOP will continue its move to the right. Democrat Kendrick Meek, who ran third, waged what has been a traditional Democratic campaign in this midterm cycle, backing the Obama administration's efforts on economic stimulus, healthcare insurance overhaul and Wall Street regulation.