Rubio Drops Out

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NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 21: Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks at a rally at the Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel on February 21, 2016 in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Rubio is campaigning in Nevada for the Republican presidential nomination ahead of the state’s Feb. 23 Republican caucuses. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Matthew Okrent

Marco Rubio, one of the front running Republican candidates in the presidential race, has dropped out of the race after losing his own home state to Donald Trump.  He returned to his regular duties as the senator of Florida on March 17th.  Returning to the Senate quietly, he quickly brought himself up to speed on the debate over whether Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland should be accepted.  Marco Rubio has taken the side of the opposition to the nomination. 

            Though the return was quiet, Rubio was greeted by many supporters of his campaign and colleagues within the Senate upon his return.  Senator Rubio has stated that he will not be a vice president to one of the candidates, wishing to work through the next ten months of his term and then return to being a private citizen, not running for governor or for another term as senator.  He did not endorse any of the candidates, but showed admiration towards Governor John Kasich and felt that there was still time to stop Trump.  With the end of Rubio’s campaign, the race for the Republican nomination falls to just three candidates out of the original seventeen candidates.