Former CIA officer Todd Wilcox ended his Republican campaign for the Florida Senate seat Friday morning and endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio two days after the incumbent decided to run for re-election .   

“Sen. Rubio and I don’t agree on everything. We’ve traveled different paths, but I respect his grasp of the challenges we face and I appreciate the reality that he, as the incumbent, is best positioned to defeat either Patrick Murphy or Alan Grayson,” Wilcox said in a statement on his Facebook page Friday morning.   

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Wilcox said he is backing presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump for president, but has more confidence in his decision helping keep Rubio’s Senate seat in GOP hands.   

“While I support Donald Trump because he is the Republican nominee, I can’t predict who will win the White House in November,” Wilcox said.  

“What I can do is impact who Florida sends to the United States Senate to challenge our next President should they try to dismantle our Constitution, put politics above principle or choose to ignore the needs of our service men and women, both past and present.”  

[

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Rubio’s decision to run for re-election has pushed most of his competition — except Miami-area developer Carlos Beruff, a self-funder — out of the race.  

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Consultants Sticking With Beruff Despite Rubio Run

]   

Rubio’s Will-He Won’t-He Saga

Beruff could unite the anti-Rubio vote, potentially creating greater headaches for the incumbent than if he had had several primary challengers.  

Beruff praised Wilcox’s “service to our country” and his character in a statement Friday morning.   

“But now, the choice is clear,” Beruff said.  

“The voters of Florida can reelect Washington’s candidate, who has consistently failed to do the job they hired him to do and won’t commit to serving a full six-year term. Or they can make a change.”

Contact Pathé at 


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