Sen. Cory Gardner Monday announced his endorsement of Sen. Marco Rubio for the GOP presidential nomination, saying that the country "needs a new generation of leadership."
"I believe Marco Rubio presents this nation with the greatest possibilities and opportunities to meet the challenges of this generation," the Colorado Republican told
Fox News' "Happening Now" program, marking the first official endorsement from a senator in the 2016 presidential race.
Gardner, who defeated Sen. Mark Udall to take the Colorado seat, is the latest huge endorsement for Rubio, who last week gained the support of key donor and billionaire investor Paul Singer.
On Monday, Gardner praised Rubio for being the candidate of the future and for his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, dismissing a question about the controversy over the Florida senator missing votes while campaigning for the nomination.