U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he is running for re-election to his Florida seat.
He had previously vowed to leave public office and become a private citizen in January after his Republican presidential bid failed.
In a statement Wednesday, Rubio, 45, said he is reversing his plans to retire after concluding it was important to continue with public service at a critical time for the nation.
“I understand my opponents will try to use this decision to score political points against me. Have at it. Because I have never claimed to be perfect, or to have all the answers. Still, the people of Florida deserve to know why I’ve changed my mind,” Rubio also said in a statement.
The first-term senator said that control of the Senate could come down to the race in Florida, which would mean the future of the Supreme Court as well as critical policy deals could be determined by the Florida Senate race.
Rubio said that "the stakes for our nation could not be higher."
Rubio had been under intense pressure from party leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to run because they were concerned the other candidates couldn't keep the seat in GOP hands.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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