A new poll shows U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., starts off as the favorite if he decides to run for a second term in the U.S. Senate in 2016, but if he opts to run for president the contest is wide open.
Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, released a poll on Wednesday showing Rubio in solid shape, with 45 percent of voters approving of him and 40 percent disapproving.
“It looks like the Florida Senate race will be a tossup if Marco Rubio runs for president,” said Dean Debnam, the president of PPP. “Rubio would be favored if he runs again but if it’s an open seat both sides have about an equal chance at it.”
Matched up against some of the leading Democratic candidates, Rubio is out front. Rubio beats U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who announced his bid on Monday, 48 percent to 41 percent. Rubio does even better against U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., 49 percent to 40 percent. Grayson has left the door open to running for the Senate in 2016.