Rubio Reiterates Neutrality In Florida's GOP Senate Race

One day after Republican Mike Haridopolos dropped out of the Florida Senate race, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio reiterated his intention to remain neutral in the contest; though he isn't stopping Republican candidate Adam Hasner from dropping his name.

Hasner is framing the race as a two-man contest between himself and former Sen. George LeMieux, and a redux of the heated 2010 primary between Rubio and former Gov. Charlie Crist. LeMieux was one of Crist's closest advisers.

"I was obviously involved in a primary where people took sides and I didn't like that so I'm going to let that play out,'' Rubio said Tuesday of the Hasner-LeMieux rivalry. "I don't think (Hasner) has said anything that's inaccurate, but I'm not involved in helping him or anybody else.''

Just hours after Haridopolos quit the race on Monday, Hasner -- who was an early Rubio backer in the 2010 Senate race -- released a fundraising email declaring, "There's now a clear choice between a principled, limited-government conservative and Marco Rubio ally in Adam Hasner, and the original 'Charlie Crist Republican' in George LeMieux."

In his explanation for why he dropped out of the race, Haridopolos cited an inability to balance the responsibilities of being both the state Senate president and a U.S. Senate candidate.

"I know that trying to balance that and being a senate president is a tough assignment. I don't know how I would have done it if I was still speaker," Rubio said Tuesday.


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