Sen. Marco Rubio said Monday he’ll make a major announcement on April 13, setting the date for what’s expected to be the launch of his presidential bid.
“I will announce on April 13th what I’m going to do next in terms of running for president or the U.S. Senate,” Rubio said on Fox News’ “The Five.”
He declined to offer any clarity on which way he’s leaning, but said he plans to discuss a vision for the future of the country on that day, a far more expansive pitch than incumbent senators typically make when launching re-election campaigns.
“This nation’s in need of leadership that understand this new era and has new ideas for a new age,” he said. “And so, again, I’m looking forward to talking about that and many other things on April 13th.”
According to the Tampa Bay Times, which first reported news of Rubio’s announcement, the Florida senator has reserved the Freedom Tower on the campus of Miami Dade College — which once housed the Miami News — for an undisclosed event that day.
Rubio has not publicly confirmed plans to run for president, but he’s been making preparations for a campaign, traveling to early primary states and reaching out to donors and supporters to gauge support for a bid.
While he’s drawn interest from Republican kingmakers, he routinely polls in the middle of the likely field, recently drawing 7% support in a CNN/ORC poll.
His announcement is one of a handful of expected presidential launches in a busy April as the contest gears up.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off the competition and became the first prospective contender to make his bid official this week. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is slated to announce on April 7, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is planning an April launch as well.
