U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he will be running for re-election.

  • After saying he would not seek re-election, Rubio announces he'll run
  • Rubio: Senate will keep Clinton or Trump in check
  • Poll says Rubio leads the Senate race

The Republican senator originally said that he would not be running for his senate seat when he suspended his campaign for the White House in March. At the time, he said that he hoped to become a "private citizen."

But last week, there were rumors that Rubio may be reconsidering his original declaration, and a spokesman from his D.C. office said the senator would not be releasing a public statement about entering the campaign to our digital media producer just last week.

“I have decided to seek re-election to the United States Senate,” the former Republican presidential candidate wrote on his website.

Rubio stated that he was proud of the work that the Senate has done to help Floridians but that he is looking toward the future about the Senate’s importance.

The Florida Senate seat could determine the course of Supreme Court nominees and the direction of the country’s economic politics, Rubio wrote.

Two of the reasons why he’s running are the two presumptive nominees running for president: Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton and Republican hopeful Donald Trump.

Rubio said he believes that a strong Senate would provide a check and balance on the “excesses” of a new president.

“With Hillary Clinton, we would have four more years of the same failed economic policies that have left us with a stagnant economy. We would have four more years of the same failed foreign policy that has allowed radical Islam to spread, and terrorists to be released from Guantanamo."

But he did not shower any praise toward Trump.

“The prospect of a Trump presidency is also worrisome to me. It is no secret that I have significant disagreements with Donald Trump. His positions on many key issues are still unknown. And some of his statements, especially about women and minorities, I find not just offensive but unacceptable."

Rubio continued that with America facing such challenges as possible terrorist attacks, economic, health care and education issues, Clinton and Trump would provide “backward” and “uncertain” responses.

Not everyone was happy to hear that Rubio is running to keep his seat. Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson’s camp released a response regarding Rubio’s senate announcement:

“While Rep. Grayson is busy passing good, progressive legislation, he welcomes the chance to beat basically two Do Nothing Republicans in Patrick Murphy and No Show Marco this fall. But it’s shameful that Marco is trying to use the Orlando tragedy to further his 2020 presidential ambitions from a Senate seat that he’s barely sat in. Floridians will see through it. The Trump-Rubio ticket will fail,” Grayson campaign manager Mike Ceraso stated.

In a Quinnipiac University Swing State poll released earlier Wednesday morning, Rubio leads the Senate race. He is also leading Grayson by 48 to 40 percent, according to the poll. Assistant director of the poll, Peter Brown, stated that Rubio might help Republicans in this year’s elections.

“With Republican national leaders worried about keeping control of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Marco Rubio might ride to their rescue if he decides to reverse field and seek re-election,” Brown stated earlier Wednesday morning, before Rubio made his official announcement.