Sen. Marco Rubio called Ted Cruz and asked the Texas Republican for his support in running for reelection in Florida.
Sources told
The Washingtonian that Rubio asked Cruz to "blast out a statement urging Rubio to run for reelection, so it's not just Mitch [McConnell], asking him to do so."
But Cruz refused the request.
The Washingtonian said Cruz "didn't want to be accused of nudging out Rep. Ron DeSantis, the tea-party favorite in the race for Rubio's seat." Sen. Mike Lee of Utah had the same concern as Cruz when approached by Rubio, the publication said.
On Wednesday, Rubio, a former Republican presidential candidate, announced his run for reelection, reversing a campaign pledge he made a year ago to either become president or retire from the Senate.
"I changed my mind," he told
Fox News.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.