Marco Rubio Won't Commit To Serving A Full Second Term In The Senate

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Tuesday that he can’t commit to serving a full term in the Senate if voters re-elect him this year.

“No one can make that commitment because you don’t know what the future is gonna hold in your life, personally or politically,” Rubio told CNN . “I can commit to you this: That is that if I am running to be a U.S. senator, I am fully prepared to allow the U.S. Senate to be the last political office I ever hold.”

Rubio sought the GOP presidential nomination this year but dropped out of the race in March , shortly after losing the primary in his home state. During his presidential primary campaign, he said he wouldn’t seek a second Senate term or run for Florida governor in 2018.

He broke his pledge in June, saying the stakes in the election were too high for him not to run. Republican leaders also reportedly urged him to launch a Senate campaign , fearing the party could lose Rubio’s seat to Democrats .

Rubio, who was elected in 2010, has an awful Senate attendance record , which he had to defend on the presidential campaign trail. 

He holds a large lead over GOP challenger Carlos Beruff ahead of Tuesday’s Republican Senate primary in Florida, according to HuffPost Pollster. Rubio leads his likely Democratic challenger, Rep. Patrick Murphy, 46.7 percent to 41.6 percent .