Rubio May Reconsider This Choice After Orlando

On Monday, former Republican presidential hopeful Marco Rubio said he's reconsidering possibly running for Senate reelection after the Sunday attack in Orlando, which is being called the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. The Florida senator previously said he would not run to retain his current position after dropping out of the presidential race in March. However, speaking with radio host Hugh Hewitt, who encouraged him to run for reelection, Rubio said Monday that the horrific attack, which resulted in 49 fatalities and 53 injuries, "most certainly has impacted my thinking in general, at least, about a lot of things."

Rubio added, "My family and I will be praying about all this, and we'll see what I need to do next with my life in regards to how I can best serve." Reuters noted that Rubio has already publicly supported — though not officially endorsed — his friend, Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, in the Republican primary race for his seat.

When asked by reporters about possibly running for reelection, Rubio said, “If the circumstances were different." He added, "But they’re not. This is the fact: that Carlos is in the race, he’s a good friend, he’s a good candidate, he’ll be a great senator. And so my answer today is no different than it was 24, 48, 72 hours ago.” The Miami Herald reported that Rubio has even joined conference calls with Lopez-Cantera donors. For his part, Lopez-Cantera told the Miami Herald, “Marco’s already said that he’s not running for reelection" and he did not appear concerned that Rubio would potentially throw his hat into the ring.

Rubio has until June 24 to file if he change his mind and decides to run. The Republican primary for his seat is in August.