Marco Rubio has the backing of many establishment Republicans for being their best hope at winning the White House in November, but his Super Tuesday losses are opening some challenges for his call for lower-ranking rival candidates to drop out and clear the way for his campaign.
Time is running out to block Donald Trump from winning the GOP presidential nomination, reports
Politico, and Rubio has won in just one state: Minnesota.
Even he admits to being an "underdog," telling supporters Tuesday in Miami that "this is a community of underdogs" while vowing to win.
But Tuesday's results did not back his argument that Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson should leave the race, and even his increasingly heated rhetoric has not pushed him to the top.
In addition, Rubio is behind Trump even in his home state of Florida, and claims that he would have won in Virginia if he "didn't have to share the ballot with two or three other people."
"There's a long way to go in the process," said former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, who backs Rubio. "This is no doubt who the front-runner is, but he keeps making it harder and harder — impossible for Republicans to say that's the guy who we want as our nominee."
Rubio could also use a large endorsement, such as from Jeb Bush or former GOP nominee Mitt Romney, but his campaign chief, Terry Sullivan told donors Tuesday that he is not sure if Bush will endorse him.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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