Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is expected to make a run for the White House — but it could either be in 2016, 2020 or even 2024,
the Miami Herald reported.
The Republican senator has a difficult decision to make before May — whether to run for president in 2016 and give up his seat, or run for president and then seek re-election if his White House hopes fail, according to the newspaper.
"Either way, there's increasing political chatter that Rubio is well-positioned to run for governor in 2018," says Herald political writer Marc Caputo.
And amazingly, under unusual Florida election rules, it is conceivable that Gov. Rick Scott could appoint himself as the senator to fill Rubio's vacated seat in 2018, according to another report.
Caputo continues: "If he wins (a 2018 gubernatorial race), there's a good chance Gov. Rubio will run for president — 2020 would be attractive if a beatable Democrat is president. The next presidential year, 2024, an open-seat year, would be more likely. He'll only be 52."
Although Rubio is currently tipped to join the long list of GOP contenders in 2016, he is not giving any hints to his plans for next year or for future presidential election years.
"At the end of the day, it's a very personal decision," Rubio said about a possible presidential bid. "You don't make this decision on the basis of political advisers. You make it on your own."
But Rubio, who is a "longshot" for the GOP nomination, must make a decision by the first week of May 2016 when federal candidates need to qualify in Florida, according to the Herald, which noted that the state election rules prohibit a person from seeking two offices simultaneously on the same ballot.
Meanwhile, it is claimed that within the final seconds of Gov. Scott's office in 2019, he could officially appoint himself as the new senator under Florida election rules.
"To run for governor, Rubio must irrevocably resign his U.S. Senate seat (assuming he wins re-election in 2016), effective no later than his succession to another office, i.e. governor," wrote Peter Schorsch of
Context Florida.
"The next governor will take office at midnight on January 8th, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January 2019. Therefore, theoretically, Rubio must resign no later than 11:59 p.m. on January 7th. In that minute, guess who gets to fill Rubio's seat? That's right, Rick Scott."
And, according to Schorsch, another option is open to Scott. "After having served two-terms as governor and (several) years as a U.S. senator, why wouldn't billionaire Rick Scott run for president in 2024?"
Schorsch added: "For opponents of Scott, the prospect of him serving beyond January 2019 might indeed be a nightmare scenario.
"For Marco Rubio, it might be the ultimate reason why some voters, even those who generally support him, might not vote for him if he runs for governor in 2018" while he's still a senator.