Ivanka Trump has ruled out mounting a challenge against Sen. Marco Rubio for his senate seat in 2022, according to a report on Thursday.
The former White House senior adviser reached out to Rubio earlier this month and informed him that she doesn’t plan to seek a primary challenge for his seat, as such a move would have torn apart the party already divided ahead into the midterm election.
“Marco did speak with Ivanka a few weeks ago. Ivanka offered her support for Marco’s re-election. They had a great talk,” Nick Iacovella, Rubio spokesman said, noting that both had discussed hold a joint event to “highlight the work that Ivanka and Rubio have done on expanded child tax credit that was included in the 2017 GOP tax cut bill.
In a statement, Ivanka praised the Florida Senator as a “good personal friend,” adding they are planning to hold future events together in the Sunshine state within the next few months on issues “both care deeply about,” including their expansion on the Child Tax Credit.
“Marco has been a tremendous advocate for working families, a good personal friend and I know he will continue to drive meaningful progress on issues we both care deeply about,” Ivanka said.
The New York Times reported the conversation on Thursday.
In December, after the former White House senior advisor and her husband, Jared Kushner recently moved their family down to the Sunshine State, purchasing a $31 million lot in “billionaire bunker,” near Miami Beach, Florida back in December, rumors were set off, speculating that Ivanka was considering a run for Senate.
According to a source close to the Trump family, the purchase was an investment was for “potential political opportunities,” as Ivanka “definitely has political ambitions,” and Florida is “certainly a first step.”
“Ivanka definitely has political ambitions, no question about it,” the source said. “She wants to run for something, but that still needs to be figured out.”
Floridian Politicos ramped up speculation that she would run against Rubio in 2022 and would be seen as the immediate frontrunner if she ran, given her father’s popularity in the Sunshine State.
“Marco Rubio is up for reelection in 2022 and is expected to run again,” Adam C. Smith, Mercury Public Affairs political consultant predicted. “But I wouldn’t think Rubio would deter her if she wanted to run. The last time Marco Rubio ran against a Trump in Florida, in the 2016 presidential primary, Rubio was crushed by 19 percentage points.”
“Normally, you’d expect a credible candidate for US Senate to spend years building a political and financial network, but those normal rules would not apply to Ivanka,” he added. “I think she’d be the immediate frontrunner if she ran for US Senate against Rubio, given her father’s popularity in the Sunshine State.”
Former President Donald Trump carried the Sunshine State on Nov. 3 by a comfortable margin driven by increased support among Latinos in South Florida.
However, there is still one Trump member that may still dip into the 2022 scene as the former president has vowed to “back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First.” Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump has been mulling a Senate bid in her native North Carolina and is seriously thinking of running for the open Senate seat that will be vacated by retiring Sen. Richard Burr.
Trump ally and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that Burr’s vote to convict the former president in the Senate impeachment trial over the weekend and the immediate backlash in censure from the North Carolina Republican Party has made Lara “almost the certain nominee” to replace him if she decides to run.
“The biggest winner I think of this whole impeachment trial is Lara Trump,” Graham said on Fox News Sunday. “I think she represents the future of the Republican Party.”
2022Child Tax CreditCongressFloridaIvanka TrumpLara TrumpNew York TimesNick IacovellaPolitical FashionPresident TrumpRepublican PartySen. Lindsey GrahamSen. Marco RubioSen. Richard BurrSenate
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