Rubio calls 2016 White House race a 'generational choice'
Republican Marco Rubio presented himself as the leader of a new political generation and the most viable alternative to Democrat Hillary Clinton as he entered the 2016 White House race on April 13 and drew a contrast with his mentor and expected opponent Jeb Bush.
Rubio cast himself as a fresh face who could move the country past the Bush and Clinton dynasties that have led American politics for decades and are seeking to again.
"The time has come for our generation to lead the way to a new American century," Rubio, 43 and the son of Cuban immigrants, told a cheering crowd at Miami's Freedom Tower, where thousands of Cuban exiles fleeing the Communist-run island in the 1960s were first registered by US authorities.
Cheers of "Marco, Marco" rang out from the jam-packed audience when Rubio, a first-term US senator of Florida, announced his candidacy.
Rubio's decision to forgo a run for re-election to the US Senate and to compete against Jeb Bush for the presidency has been the talk of Florida. Bush, who has not yet declared himself a candidate, was a big supporter of Rubio when he was the Florida governor and Rubio was the speaker of the House of Representatives.