Marco Rubio Announcing 2016 Presidential Bid

Florida Republican Senator confirms he's making official announcement at 5:30 p.m. in Miami

By Rebecca Macatee Apr 13, 2015 3:51 PMTags
Marco RubioJustin Sullivan/Getty Images

It's (pretty much) official: Marco Rubio is announcing his 2016 presidential bid Monday!

The Florida Republican Senator tweeted a link to IJReview's behind-the-scenes photos from Rubio's "planned presidential announcement," slated to take place at 5:30 p.m. at a Miami ralley.

Rubio, 43, posted a countdown clock of his own.

Additionally, a campaign source confirms to NBC News that Rubio told donors on a Monday morning call he is "uniquely qualified" as a spokesperson for his party.

Rubio is the third Republican to enter the race, following Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky.  If elected, Rubio would be the first Latino president of the United States. His parents came to America from Cuba in 1956, and according to his Senate bio, they "earned their way to the middle class working humble jobs," teaching their son "the importance of work and family...[and] the belief that all things are possible in America."

"The reason I'm so passionate about restoring the American Dream is because I've lived it myself," he writes. "I believe that with a smart limited government approach, Americans can come together to revive the American Dream, bring it into reach of more people than ever before, and usher in an American Century even more brilliant and prosperous than the last."

The conservative politician served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008 and was elected to U.S. Senate in 2010. He lives with his wife, Jeanette, and their four young children in West Miami.