Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio held a campaign rally at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock this afternoon, Feb. 21.
Though it was Rubio’s first visit to the Natural State, he has garnered much support from Arkansas’ elected officials. Earlier this week, 28 state officials endorsed Rubio, including Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and U.S. Congressmen Rick Crawford and Steve Womack.
At the rally, Rubio vowed to “unify and grow the [Republican] party,” and said he’s one of the most conservative candidates in the race. He called the 2016 presidential election “high stakes,” and said Republicans must win to carry on the American Dream.
“This election is about making a difference,” he said.
@marcorubio: ‘High stakes election,’ country is in trouble if Democrats win #arpx
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) February 21, 2016
@marcorubio: ‘The American Dream will be lost if the Democrats win this election.’ #arpx
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) February 21, 2016
Rubio’s visit came a day after his second-place finish in South Carolina’s Republican primary and ahead of Tuesday’s Republican Nevada caucus.
Arkansas will participate in the SEC Primary on March 1, but early voting began Feb. 15.
Speaking for about 30 minutes, Rubio said, if elected, he will repeal all of President Barack Obama’s “unconstitutional executive orders,” protect Second Amendment Rights, protect the right to worship, save Social Security and Medicare, and repeal and replace Obamacare.
@marcorubio says if elected there will ‘Reagan-style rebuild of U.S. Military’ #arpx
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) February 21, 2016
He touted a limited government and a free enterprise economy.
“The private sector creates jobs, not the president,” Rubio said.
@marcorubio: ‘there’s not a federal government solution to every problem in America’ #arpx pic.twitter.com/x8v8q1yWCg
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) February 21, 2016
Crowd is filing in about an hour before @marcorubio takes the stage in LR pic.twitter.com/lvzEGhWt89
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) February 21, 2016