Rubio: ‘Maybe’ would run for Senate seat if ‘good friend’ wasn’t

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) might consider running for reelection to the Senate if his “good friend” wasn’t seeking the same spot, he told CNN in an interview aired Friday.

{mosads}CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Rubio if he would run for his Senate seat if Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a close friend to Rubio, had not been running to take his place.

“Maybe,” said Rubio, who suspended his presidential campaign in March after losing his home state’s primary.

“Look, I have a real good friend I’ve known for a long time who I was running for the Senate with. I didn’t run. I said I wasn’t going to. He got into the race,” Rubio said. “I think he’s put in time and energy to it and he deserves the chance to see where he can take it.”

Rubio has vehemently said he won’t seek reelection despite pressure from top Republicans to do so. 

“Marco Rubio is a very valuable member of the Senate … and earlier this afternoon, I strongly encouraged him to reconsider his decision and seek re-election,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said in a statement Thursday.

Even former primary rival Donald Trump, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, encouraged Rubio to run for reelection, saying he has the best chance to win the seat and help the Republicans keep a majority in the Senate.

“Poll data shows that @marcorubio does by far the best in holding onto his Senate seat in Florida. Important to keep the MAJORITY. Run Marco!” Trump said in a tweet.

The Republican field of those running for Rubio’s seat is already crowded and includes Reps. David Jolly and Ron DeSantis, businessman Carlos Beruff, entrepreneur Todd Wilcox and Lopez-Cantera. 

Filing deadline to run is  June 24.