Sen. Marco Rubio came to Greenville today to test the waters for a potential presidential campaign.
Rubio stopped at the Barnes & Noble on Woodruff Road to sign copies of his book “American Dreams.” He said how people respond to the message of his book “will give us a lot of insight of the potential for running for president.”
About 75 people showed up in Greenville to get the senator to sign copies of the book. One Rubio supporter told the senator, “One word: Run.”
Rubio told reporters he would make a final decision “very soon” on a 2016 presidential race—a decision he is considering “very seriously,” he said.
Several people in the crowd said Rubio was among their top choices for president.
“I think he’s the first serious contender my age,” said Alex Forrest, 39, of the 43-year-old senator.
Rubio said the book tour is “a way of sharing our message, which certainly is what any presidential run, or any campaign for that matter, should be grounded [on].”
Greenville is one of the five stops Rubio will make on his short tour of early presidential primary states. He visited in Iowa last week and Las Vegas yesterday. The final stops will be Florida and New Hampshire.
Politico reported earlier this month that “Rubio has told aides to prepare for a possible presidential run, and the reception he draws in these places will be closely watched.”
If Rubio does run for president, he could face competition from South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has said he is looking into a presidential run.
Rubio said Graham was a strong potential candidate with knowledge of foreign policies.
In a South Carolina primary preview poll released today by the Public Policy Polling, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker led with 19 and 18 percent support, respectively, among Republicans. Graham tied Ben Carson for third in the poll, with 13 percent support among GOP voters in the state.
Rubio was not named in the poll.
[Photo by Gwinn Davis]
