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79-499: Governance of the agency is carried out by a five-person, part-time board of presidential appointees and by a full-time executive director selected by those appointees. Of the five appointees, three members are appointed solely by the President without other consideration (of whom one shall be nominated as chairman), one member is appointed after considering the recommendation of the Speaker of

158-536: A centrist "who sought out Democrats and groups that don't typically align with the GOP". He co-sponsored legislation that would have let farmworkers sue growers in state court if they were shortchanged on pay, and co-sponsored a bill for giving in-state tuition rates to the children of undocumented immigrants . In the wake of the September 11 attacks , he voiced suspicion about expanding police detention powers and helped defeat

237-462: A plurality-at-large voting basis. These commissioners constitute the legislative body of the city and, as a group, are responsible for taxation, appropriations, ordinances, and other general functions. Individual commissioners are also assigned executive responsibility for a specific aspect of municipal affairs, such as public works , finance , or public safety . This form of government thus blends legislative and executive branch functions in

316-676: A "virtual secretary of state for Latin America". Rubio became Florida's senior senator in January 2019, following the defeat of former Senator Bill Nelson , and was reelected to a third term in 2022 , defeating Democratic nominee Val Demings in a landslide victory . Rubio endorsed Trump for president in 2024 days before the Iowa caucuses . In November 2024, President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Rubio to become United States Secretary of State in his second administration . Rubio would be

395-497: A 15-member Employee Thrift Advisory Council to provide input from the various employee, servicemember, and annuitant groups who have TSP investments, of which one is designated by the chairman as the council head. The 15-member board is made up of the following: The first chairman of the board was Roger W. Mehle, who was appointed on October 1, 1986. In 1988 he was reappointed and served continuously until January 31, 1994. President Clinton appointed James H. Atkins to replace him, and

474-543: A 2017 decision to mirror an index that invests in unaudited Chinese companies as well as companies that are sanctioned by the U.S. Despite scrutiny from the U.S. Senate, Board voted to permit continued investment in an index containing stocks of unaudited companies in the People's Republic of China. In November 2019, U.S. senators Marco Rubio and Jeanne Shaheen introduced legislation, the Taxpayers and Savers Protection Act, to force

553-487: A GOP bill that would have required colleges to increase reporting to the state about foreign students. As a state representative, Rubio requested legislative earmarks (called "Community Budget Issue Requests" in Florida), totaling about $ 145   million for 2001 and 2002, but none thereafter. Additionally, an office in the executive branch compiled a longer list of spending requests by legislators, including Rubio, as did

632-504: A broad view of governmental power to take private property under eminent domain . This state legislation had been proposed by a special committee chaired by Rubio prior to his speakership. Jeb Bush was succeeded by Charlie Crist , a moderate Republican who took office in January 2007. Rubio and Crist clashed frequently. Their sharpest clash involved the governor's initiative to expand casino gambling in Florida. Rubio sued Crist for bypassing

711-461: A centrist Republican at the time. Although a conservative, "behind the scenes many Democrats considered Rubio someone with whom they could work," according to biographer Manuel Roig-Franzia. Dan Gelber of Miami, the House Democratic leader at the time of Rubio's speakership, considered him "a true conservative" but not "a reflexive partisan", saying: "He didn't have an objection to working with

790-404: A commission form of government, such as Bismarck, North Dakota , have a specifically elected mayor. As a form, commission government once was common, but has largely been supplanted as many cities that once used it have since switched to the council–manager form, in which the elected council, presided over by a non-executive mayor, hires a professional manager to oversee day to day operations of

869-599: A different approach instead of a single comprehensive bill. Rubio was chosen to deliver the Republican response to President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address . It marked the first time the response was delivered in English and Spanish. Rubio's attempt to draw a strong line against the looming defense sequestration was undercut by fellow Republican senator Rand Paul 's additional response to Obama's speech that called for

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948-478: A former police officer. Rubio criticized Demings as an "ineffective member of Congress and a puppet of Nancy Pelosi ; she's voted with Nancy Pelosi 100% of the time". Demings criticized Rubio's attendance record in the Senate, and in a campaign ad said Rubio had "one of the worst attendance records in the Senate. When Florida needs you, you just don't show up." Demings also claimed that Rubio supported tax hikes, but this

1027-537: A half years before Fidel Castro ascended to power after the Cuban Revolution . His mother made at least four return trips to Cuba after Castro's takeover, including a month-long trip in 1961. Neither of Rubio's parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of Rubio's birth, but they applied for U.S. citizenship and were naturalized in 1975. Some relatives of Rubio's were admitted to the U.S. as refugees. Rubio's maternal grandfather, Pedro Victor Garcia, immigrated to

1106-747: A law firm that specialized in land use and zoning until 2014 when he took a position with Broad and Cassel , a Miami law and lobbying firm (though state law precluded him from engaging in lobbying or introducing legislation on behalf of the firm's clients). When Rubio took his seat in the legislature in Tallahassee in January 2000, voters in Florida had recently approved a constitutional amendment on term limits . This created openings for new legislative leaders due to many senior incumbents having to retire. According to an article in National Journal , Rubio also gained an extra advantage in that regard, because he

1185-490: A moderate, advocating tax cuts and early childhood education . Rubio placed second in the Republican primary on December 14, 1999, but won the runoff election for the Republican nomination, defeating Angel Zayon (a television and radio reporter who was popular with Cuban exiles) by just 64 votes. He then defeated Democrat Anastasia Garcia with 72% of the vote in a January 25, 2000, special election. In November 2000, Rubio

1264-462: A probationary period; that pathway was to be implemented only after strengthening border security . The bill passed the Senate 68 to 32 with his support, but Rubio then signaled that the bill should not be taken up by the House because other priorities, like repealing Obamacare, were a higher priority for him; the House never did take up the bill. Rubio has since explained that he still supports reform, but

1343-518: A tax credit for veterans who start a business franchise; allowed an increase in immigration for certain types of work visas; and strengthened copyright protections. Rubio voted against the 2012 " fiscal cliff " resolutions. Although he received some criticism for this position, he responded: "Thousands of small businesses, not just the wealthy, will now be forced to decide how they'll pay this new tax, and, chances are, they'll do it by firing employees, cutting back their hours and benefits, or postponing

1422-479: A vice presidential running mate , but was vetted for vice president by the Romney campaign . Former Romney aide Beth Myers has said that the vetting process turned up nothing disqualifying about Rubio. Upon taking office, Rubio hired Cesar Conda as his chief of staff . Conda, a former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney , and former top aide to Sens. Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.) and Robert Kasten (R-Wis.),

1501-562: A year later. He was confirmed and later married in the Catholic Church. Rubio attended South Miami Senior High School , graduating in 1989. He attended Tarkio College in Missouri for one year on a football scholarship before enrolling at Santa Fe Community College (later Santa Fe College ) in Gainesville, Florida . He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from

1580-459: The Florida Republican primary . He then ran for reelection to the Senate and won a second term . Despite his criticism of Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries , Rubio endorsed him before the 2016 general election and was largely supportive of his presidency. Due to his influence on U.S. policy on Latin America during the first Trump administration , he was described as

1659-656: The Republican Party , he served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2008. Rubio sought the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2016. Rubio is a Cuban American from Miami , Florida. After serving as a city commissioner for West Miami in the 1990s, he was elected to represent the 111th district in the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. Subsequently, he

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1738-501: The University of Florida in 1993 and his Juris Doctor , cum laude , from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996. Rubio has said that he incurred $ 100,000 in student loans. He paid off those loans in 2012. While studying law, Rubio interned for U.S. representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen . He also worked on Republican senator Bob Dole 's 1996 presidential campaign. In April 1998, two years after finishing law school, Rubio

1817-663: The 1960s. He added that his mother took his two elder siblings back to Cuba in 1961 with the intention of living there permanently (his father remained behind in Miami "wrapping up the family's matters"), but the nation's move toward communism caused the family to change its plans. Rubio stated that "[the] essence of my family story is why they came to America in the first place; and why they had to stay." Rubio has three siblings: older brother Mario, older sister Barbara (married to Orlando Cicilia), and younger sister Veronica (formerly married to entertainer Carlos Ponce ). Growing up, his family

1896-462: The 2020 elections, the Democrats regained majority control of the Senate, and Rubio has reassumed minority status within the Senate. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Rubio said he had no interest in running for president or vice president in the 2012 presidential election. In March 2012, when he endorsed Mitt Romney for president, Rubio said that he did not expect to be or want to be selected as

1975-534: The American dream is not available to them". He helped set up a council on issues facing black men and boys, persuaded colleagues to replicate the Harlem Children's Zone in the Miami neighborhood of Liberty City , and supported efforts to promote literacy and mentoring for black children and others. In 2010 during Rubio's Senate campaign, and again in 2015 during his presidential campaign, issues were raised by

2054-741: The Board to divest from unaudited Chinese companies. In May 2020, a directive from the United States Department of Labor ordered the TSP to halt a plan to invest in Chinese stocks. In 2022, a coalition was formed to push for the removal of emerging-market funds that contain companies linked to the People's Liberation Army . Since July 2022, federal employees have the option of investing in mutual funds that have holdings in sanctioned Chinese companies. In November 2023,

2133-554: The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board switched the index for its international fund to one that excludes investments in companies in Hong Kong and mainland China . Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio ( / ˈ r uː b i oʊ / ; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida , a seat he has held since 2011. A member of

2212-514: The Florida Commission on Ethics cleared Rubio of wrongdoing in his use of the party-issued credit card, although the commission inspector said that Rubio exhibited a "level of negligence" in not using his personal MasterCard. In November 2015, Rubio released his party credit card statements for January 2005 through October 2006, which showed eight personal charges totaling $ 7,243.74, all of which he had personally reimbursed, in most instances by

2291-547: The Florida Legislature in order to make a deal with the Seminole Tribe . The Florida Supreme Court sided with Rubio and blocked the deal. Rubio also was a critic of Crist's strategy to fight climate change through an executive order creating new automobile and utility emissions standards . Rubio accused Crist of imposing "European-style big government mandates", and the legislature under Rubio's leadership weakened

2370-688: The House (in consultation with the House Minority Leader) and the fifth member is appointed after considering the recommendation of the Senate Majority Leader (in consultation with the Senate Minority Leader). Each of these persons is required by FERSA to have "substantial experience, training, and expertise in the management of financial investments and pension benefit plans." The members serve for four year terms. The members may however serve until their successor has taken office, so

2449-400: The House due to disagreements with the House speaker, and the speaker passed over Rubio to appoint a more experienced replacement for Fasano. Rubio volunteered to work on redistricting , which he accomplished by dividing the state into five regions, then working individually with the lawmakers involved, and this work helped to cement his relationships with GOP leaders. In December 2002, Rubio

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2528-427: The Republican nomination to Rubio. Several of Crist's top fundraisers, as well as Republican leadership, refused to support Crist after Rubio won the Republican nomination. On November 2, 2010, Rubio won the general election with 49% of the vote to Crist's 30% and Democrat Kendrick Meek 's 20%. When Rubio was sworn in to the U.S. Senate, he and Bob Menendez of New Jersey were the only two Latino Americans in

2607-400: The Republican primary on August 30, 2016, defeating Carlos Beruff . He faced Democratic nominee Patrick Murphy in the general election, defeating him with almost 52% of the vote. In November 2020, Rubio announced he would run for a third Senate term in the 2022 election . He faced Democratic challenger Val Demings , the U.S. representative for Florida's 10th congressional district and

2686-527: The Senate . In April 2015, Rubio decided to run for president instead of seeking reelection to the Senate. After suspending his presidential campaign on March 15, 2016, Rubio "seemed to open the door to running for reelection" on June 13, 2016, citing the previous day's Orlando nightclub shooting and how "it really gives you pause, to think a little bit about your service to your country and where you can be most useful to your country." Rubio officially started his campaign nine days later, on June 22. Rubio won

2765-643: The Senate floor authorizing the president's decision to participate in allied military action in Libya". The administration decided that no congressional authorization was needed under the War Powers Resolution ; Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) joined Rubio in writing an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal in June 2011 again urging passage of such authorization. In October 2011, Rubio joined several other senators in pushing for continued engagement to "help Libya lay

2844-537: The U.S. Garcia re-applied for permanent resident status in 1966 following passage of the Cuban Adjustment Act , at which point his residency was approved. Rubio enjoyed a close relationship with his grandfather during his childhood. In October 2011, The Washington Post reported that Rubio's previous statements that his parents were forced to leave Cuba in 1959 (after Fidel Castro came to power) were falsehoods. His parents actually left Cuba in 1956, during

2923-633: The U.S. Senate as a result of the elections in November 2014. As this new period of Republican control began, Rubio pushed for the elimination of the "risk corridors" used by the federal government to compensate insurers for their losses as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The risk corridors were intended to be funded by profitable insurers participating in the PPACA, but since insurer losses have significantly exceeded their profits in

3002-542: The U.S. Senate, he rejoined the FIU faculty. Rubio teaches in the Department of Politics and International Relations, which is part of FIU's Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. He has taught undergraduate courses on Florida politics , political parties, and legislative politics. Rubio's appointment as an FIU professor was initially criticized. The university obtained considerable state funding when Rubio

3081-434: The U.S. legally in 1956, but returned to Cuba to find work in 1959. When he fled communist Cuba and returned to the U.S. in 1962 without a visa , he was detained as an undocumented immigrant and an immigration judge ordered him to be deported . Immigration officials reversed their decision later that day, the deportation order was not enforced, and Garcia was given a legal status of "parolee" that allowed him to stay in

3160-476: The United States would eventually adopt it. Zueblin also predicted that the system would eventually replace the United States Senate and House of Representatives . He believed the commission system would allow better lawmakers to be selected and that they would be subject to higher scrutiny. However, the council-manager form, which developed at least in part as a response to some perceived limitations of

3239-478: The actual terms the members serve can be far longer. The board members collectively establish the policies under which the TSP operates and furnish general oversight. The executive director carries out the policies established by the board members and otherwise acts as the full-time chief executive of the agency. The board and the executive director convene monthly in meetings open to the public to review policies, practices, and performance. The chairman also appoints

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3318-757: The board named Mehle the agency's executive director. Clinton named Atkins to another term in 1997, and to a third term via a recess appointment in 2000. He was succeeded by Andrew Saul, who named Gary Amelio executive director in 2002, replacing Mehle. The current executive director is Ravindra Deo, who succeeded Gregory Long in 2017. Ravindra Deo joined the FRTIB in 2015 as the Chief Investment Officer and additionally served as Acting Chief Operating Officer and Acting Executive Director during his tenure. The current board members as of September 24, 2024: The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has been criticized for

3397-464: The book was blank because it had not yet been written, and Rubio told his colleagues that they would fill in the pages together with the help of ordinary Floridians. In 2006, after traveling around the state and talking with citizens, and compiling their ideas, Rubio published the book. The National Journal called this book "the centerpiece of Rubio's early speakership". About 24 of the "ideas" became law, while another 10 were partially enacted. Among

3476-534: The city. Proponents of the council-manager form typically consider the city commission form to be the predecessor of, not the alternative to, the council-manager form of government. The commission form is now found in less than one percent of American municipalities. This form of government originated in Galveston, Texas , as a response to the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 , mainly for the reason that extra support

3555-427: The commission form, became the preferred alternative for progressive reform. After World War I , very few cities adopted the commission form and many cities using the commission plan switched to the council-manager form. Galveston itself changed forms in 1960. Of the 30 most populous cities in the United States, Portland, Oregon is the only city with a commission government. A 2022 ballot measure to replace it with

3634-412: The council from among themselves Elected mayor and cabinet Executive mayor elected by the people Committee system Executive leader and executive committees elected by the council from among themselves City commission government is a form of local government in the United States . In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on

3713-464: The deficit, calling the policy a "terrible idea" based on a "false choice". The following month, Rubio and Senator Chris Coons , Democrat of Delaware , co-sponsored the American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Act (AGREE Act), which would have extended many tax credits and exemptions for businesses investing in research and development , equipment, and other capital; provided

3792-529: The dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. According to the Post , "[in] Florida, being connected to the post-revolution exile community gives a politician cachet that could never be achieved by someone identified with the pre-Castro exodus, a group sometimes viewed with suspicion." Rubio denied that he had embellished his family history, stating that his public statements about his family were based on "family lore". Rubio asserted that his parents intended to return to Cuba in

3871-455: The first Latino to hold the role and would be the highest-ranking Hispanic American government official in the history of the United States . Marco Antonio Rubio was born in Miami , Florida , the second son and third child of Mario Rubio Reina and Oriales ( née Garcia) Rubio. His parents were Cubans who immigrated to the United States in 1956 during the regime of Fulgencio Batista , two and

3950-486: The foundation for sustainable security". Soon after Gadhafi was ousted, Rubio warned there was a serious threat posed by the spread of militias and weapons, and called for more U.S. involvement to counter that threat. Rubio voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011 , which included mandatory automatic budget cuts from sequestration . He later said that defense spending should never have been linked to taxes and

4029-531: The impact of Crist's climate change initiative. Rubio said that Crist's approach would harm consumers by driving up utility bills without having much effect upon the environment, and that a better approach would be to promote biofuel (e.g. ethanol ), solar panels , and energy efficiency . Rubio introduced a plan to reduce state property taxes to 2001 levels (and potentially eliminate them altogether), while increasing sales taxes by 1% to 2.5% to fund schools. The proposal would have reduced property taxes in

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4108-472: The incoming speaker, he decided to open a private dining room for legislators, which he said would give members more privacy, free from being pursued by lobbyists, though the expense led to a public relations problem. In 2006, Florida enacted into law limitations upon the authority of the state government to take private property, in response to the 2005 Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London which took

4187-436: The items from his 2006 book that became law were multiple-year car registrations, a requirement that high schools provide more vocational courses, and an expanded voucher-like school-choice program. Rubio's defenders, and some critics, point out that nationwide economic difficulties overlapped with much of Rubio's speakership, and so funding new legislative proposals became difficult. As Rubio took office as Speaker, Jeb Bush

4266-494: The largest tax cut in Florida's history up until then. At the time, Republican anti-tax activist Grover Norquist described Rubio as "the most pro-taxpayer legislative leader in the country". As Speaker, Rubio "aggressively tried to push Florida to the political right ", according to NBC News , and frequently clashed with the Florida Senate , which was run by more moderate Republicans , and with then-Governor Charlie Crist,

4345-436: The media and his political opponents about some items charged by Rubio to his Republican Party of Florida American Express card during his time as House speaker. Rubio charged about $ 110,000 during those two years, of which $ 16,000 was personal expenses unrelated to party business, such as groceries and plane tickets. Rubio said that he personally paid American Express more than $ 16,000 for these personal expenses. In 2012,

4424-449: The new hires they were looking to make. And to make matters worse, it does nothing to bring our dangerous debt under control." In 2013, Rubio was part of the bipartisan " Gang of Eight " senators that crafted comprehensive immigration reform legislation . Rubio proposed a plan providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States involving payment of fines and back taxes , background checks, and

4503-498: The next billing period. When releasing the charge records, Rubio spokesman Todd Harris said, "These statements are more than 10 years old. And the only people who ask about them today are the liberal media and our political opponents. We are releasing them now because Marco has nothing to hide." After leaving the Florida Legislature in 2008, Rubio began teaching under a fellowship appointment at Florida International University (FIU) as an adjunct professor . In 2011, after entering

4582-535: The non-profit group Florida TaxWatch. Many of those listed items were for health and social programs that Rubio has described as "the kind of thing that legislators would get attacked on if we didn't fund them". A 2010 report by the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald said that some of Rubio's spending requests dovetailed with his personal interests. For example, Rubio requested a $ 20   million appropriation for Jackson Memorial Hospital to subsidize care for

4661-598: The other side simply because they were the other side. To put it bluntly, he wasn't a jerk." Gelber considered Rubio "a severe conservative, really far to the right, but probably the most talented spokesman the severe right could ever hope for." While speaker of the Florida House, Rubio shared a residence in Tallahassee with another Florida State Representative, David Rivera , which the two co-owned. The house later went into foreclosure in 2010 after several missed mortgage payments. At that point, Rubio assumed responsibility for

4740-433: The payments, and the house was eventually sold. In 2007, Florida state senator Tony Hill (D-Jacksonville), chairman of the state legislature's Black Caucus, requested that the legislature apologize for slavery , and Rubio said the idea merited discussion. The following year, a supportive Rubio said such apologies can be important albeit symbolic; he pointed out that even in 2008 young African-American males "believe that

4819-533: The poor and uninsured, and Rubio later did work for that hospital as a consultant. A spokesman for Rubio has said that the items in question helped the whole county, that Rubio did not lobby to get them approved, that the hospital money was necessary and non-controversial, and that Rubio is "a limited-government conservative   ... not a no-government conservative". On September 13, 2005, at age 34, Rubio became speaker after State Representatives Dennis Baxley , Jeff Kottkamp , and Dennis A. Ross dropped out. He

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4898-400: The program, the risk corridors have been depleted. His efforts contributed to the inclusion of a provision in the 2014 federal budget that prevented other funding sources from being tapped to replenish the risk corridors. City commission government Executive mayor elected by the people, elected legislative City council Council - Manager Executive leader elected by

4977-422: The same body. One commissioner may be designated to function as mayor , but this largely is an honorific or ceremonial designation. The mayor principally serves as chairman or president of the commission, presiding over meetings, but typically does not have additional powers over and above the other commissioners. In many cases, the mayor is selected by the commissioners from among themselves, though some cities with

5056-595: The sequester to be carried out. In April 2013, Rubio voted against an expansion of background checks for gun purchases , contending that such increased regulatory measures would do little to help capture criminals. Rubio voted against publishing the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture . In 2016, Rubio said the U.S. should "find out everything they know" from captured terrorists and should not telegraph "the enemy what interrogation techniques we will or won't use." Republicans took control of

5135-453: The state by $ 40–50   billion. His proposal passed the House, but was opposed by Governor Crist and Florida Senate Republicans, who said that the increase in sales tax would disproportionately affect the poor. So, Rubio agreed to smaller changes, and Crist's proposal to double the state's property tax exemption from $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 (for a tax reduction estimated by Crist to be $ 33   billion) ultimately passed. Legislators called it

5214-487: The state. Initially trailing by double digits in the primary against the incumbent governor of his own party, Charlie Crist, Rubio eventually surpassed Crist in polling for the Republican nomination. In his campaign, Rubio received the support of members of the Tea Party , many of whom were dissatisfied with Crist's policies as governor. On April 28, 2010, Crist said he would run without a party affiliation, effectively ceding

5293-634: Was Catholic , though from age   8 to age   11 he and his family attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while living in Las Vegas. During those years in Nevada, his father worked as a bartender at Sam's Town Hotel and his mother as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino . He received his first communion as a Catholic in 1984 before moving back to Miami with his family

5372-477: Was appointed House majority leader by Speaker Johnnie Byrd . He persuaded Speaker Byrd to restructure the job of majority leader, so that legislative wrangling would be left to the whip's office, and Rubio would become the main spokesperson for the House GOP. According to National Journal , during this period Rubio did not entirely adhere to doctrinaire conservative principles, and some colleagues described him as

5451-530: Was completing his term as governor, and Bush left office in January 2007. Rubio hired 18 Bush aides, leading capitol insiders to say the speaker's suite was "the governor's office in exile". An article in National Journal described Rubio's style as being very different from Bush's; where Bush was a very assertive manager of affairs in Tallahassee, Rubio's style was to delegate certain powers, relinquish others, and invite political rivals into his inner circle. As

5530-460: Was elected speaker of the Florida House; he served for two years beginning in November 2006. Upon leaving the Florida legislature in 2008 due to term limits, Rubio taught at Florida International University . In a three-way race, Rubio was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 . In April 2015, he launched a presidential bid instead of seeking reelection. He suspended his campaign for the presidency on March 15, 2016, after losing to Donald Trump in

5609-416: Was elected to a seat as city commissioner for West Miami . He became a member of the Florida House of Representatives in early 2000. In late 1999, a special election was called to fill the seat for the 111th House District in the Florida House of Representatives , representing Miami. It was considered a safe Republican seat, so Rubio's main challenge was to win the GOP nomination. He campaigned as

5688-495: Was needed in certain areas. After its constitutionality was tested and confirmed, this form of government quickly became popular across the state of Texas and spread to other parts of the United States . Des Moines, Iowa , became the first city outside Texas to adopt this form of government. University of Chicago Professor Charles Zueblin was a major advocate of the commission plan of government, believing that every city in

5767-530: Was not assertive enough toward the Castro regime. Also in 2011, Rubio was invited to visit the Reagan Library , during which he gave a well-publicized speech praising its namesake, and also rescued Nancy Reagan from falling. In March 2011, Rubio supported U.S. participation in the military campaign in Libya to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi . He urged that Senate leaders bring "a bi-partisan resolution to

5846-525: Was proven false. Rubio won the November 8 general election with 57% of the vote to Demings's 41%. During Rubio's first four years in the U.S. Senate , Republicans were in the minority . After the 2014 midterm elections , the Republicans obtained majority control of the Senate, giving Rubio and the Republicans vast federal influence during the final two years of Barack Obama's presidency , as well as during all four years of Donald Trump's presidency . After

5925-422: Was reelected unopposed. In 2002, he was reelected to a second term unopposed. In 2004, he was reelected to a third term with 66% of the vote. In 2006, he was reelected to a fourth term unopposed. Rubio spent almost nine years in the Florida House of Representatives. Since the Florida legislative session officially lasted only sixty days, he spent about half of each year in Miami, where he practiced law, first at

6004-600: Was speaker of the Florida House, and many other university jobs were being eliminated due to funding issues at the time FIU appointed him to the faculty. When Rubio accepted the fellowship appointment as an adjunct professor at FIU, he agreed to raise most of the funding for his position from private sources. On May 5, 2009, Rubio stated his intent to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martínez , who had decided not to seek reelection and subsequently resigned before completing his term. Before launching his campaign, Rubio met with fundraisers and supporters throughout

6083-693: Was succeeded in 2014 as Rubio's chief of staff by his deputy, Alberto Martinez, but Conda remained as a part-time adviser. During his first year in office, Rubio became an influential defender of the United States embargo against Cuba and induced the State Department to withdraw an ambassadorial nomination of Jonathan D. Farrar , who was the Chief of Mission of the United States Interests Section in Havana from 2008 to 2011. Rubio believed that Farrar

6162-424: Was sworn in a year later, in November 2006. He became the first Cuban American to be speaker of the Florida House of Representatives , and would remain speaker until November 2008. When he was chosen as future speaker in 2005, Rubio delivered a speech to the Florida House in which he asked members to look in their desks, where they each found a hardcover book titled 100 Innovative Ideas For Florida's Future ; but

6241-557: Was sworn in early due to the special election, and he would take advantage of these opportunities to join the GOP leadership. Later in 2000, the majority leader of the House, Mike Fasano , promoted Rubio to be one of two majority whips . National Journal described that position as typically requiring a lot of arm-twisting, but said Rubio took a different approach that relied more on persuading legislators and less on coercing them. Fasano resigned in September 2001 as majority leader of

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