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Rubio, 53, was born in Miami and still calls the city his home. His father was a bartender and his mother a hotel maid. In his first Senate campaign, he repeatedly reminded voters of his working class background and “only in America” story as the son of Cuban immigrants who became a U.S. senator.

He is Catholic. But Rubio spent about six years of his childhood in Las Vegas, where he was baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and attended Mormon services. The family moved to the city when Rubio was eight and his parents found jobs in the growing hotel industry.

They returned to Miami when he was 14.

Rubio played college football and married a pro cheerleader
Rubio is a huge football fan who had dreams of making it to the NFL when he played in high school. But he only had solid offers to play from two colleges.

He chose little-known Tarkio College, located in a town of fewer than 2,000 people in the rural northwest corner of Missouri. But as the college faced bankruptcy and he suffered an injury, Rubio gave up football and transferred to a Florida school. He graduated from the University of Florida and the University of Miami Law School.

He became engaged to Jeanette Dousdebes, and she tried out and made the Miami Dolphins cheerleading squad. They married in 1998 and have four children.

He was almost Florida’s attorney general
Rubio was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, including a time when he served majority leader and speaker.

He was a longshot candidate against then-Gov. Charlie Crist for the 2010 GOP nomination for Senate. He was pressured by party leaders to drop out of the Senate race and instead run for attorney general, with promises from the party to clear the field for him. “I had all but convinced myself to quit” the Senate race, he wrote in his memoir, “An American Son.”

But when an Associated Press reporter confronted him about a tip that Rubio was switching to the attorney general’s race that week, Rubio said unequivocally, “No.” At that point, Rubio wrote, he felt he couldn’t go back on his word. He stayed in the race and won his first Senate term. He was reelected in 2016 and again in 2022.

He remained close with Trump even after being passed up for vice president in favor of Ohio Sen. JD Vance. He traveled with the former president during the race’s final stretch, giving remarks in English and Spanish at multiple rallies on the campaign’s final day.

He often talks about foreign threats, especially from China
Rubio rode the tea party wave in 2010 to rise to national prominence. He campaigned by saying then-President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress threatened the nation’s economy by supporting disastrous domestic spending, tax and health care policies.

As vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Rubio now often discusses foreign military and economic threats, particularly China. He warns that China, Iran, North Korea and Russia are increasingly partnering against the United States.

“They all share one goal, and that is, they want to weaken America, weaken our alliances, weaken our standing and our capability and our will,” he said in a speech last March.

Prayer Patriot

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with hearts of gratitude, lifting up Marco Rubio as he steps into his new role as Secretary of State of the United States of America. We recognize that all authority is given by You (Romans 13:1), and we acknowledge Your sovereignty over all nations. We ask that You would guide Senator Rubio with wisdom, discernment, and grace as he takes on the weighty responsibilities of representing our nation on the world stage.

Father, we pray that You would fill his heart with a deep sense of humility and service. Grant him the strength to lead with integrity, upholding the values of justice, peace, and righteousness. Help him to approach every diplomatic challenge with a spirit of wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:6), always seeking Your guidance in the decisions he makes. May he be a man who seeks the welfare of all people, pursuing peace where there is conflict, and standing for truth where there is injustice.

Lord, we ask that You would give Marco Rubio the courage to stand firm in his convictions, even when faced with difficult decisions or opposition. We pray that he would be a voice for the voiceless, a champion for human rights, and an ambassador of peace. Let his words be seasoned with grace and truth (Colossians 4:6), and may he always seek Your will in his actions, both at home and abroad.

Father, we lift up his personal walk with You. May his relationship with Jesus Christ be the foundation of his leadership. Draw him closer to You each day, and fill him with a deep hunger for Your word and Your will. Strengthen his faith in moments of difficulty and grant him the wisdom to trust You fully with every decision, knowing that You are always present and faithful (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We also pray for his family, Lord, asking that You would surround them with Your peace and protection. Bless them with the strength, grace, and love they need as they support him in this new chapter of service. May their home be filled with joy, unity, and a deep sense of Your presence. Help them to walk together in faith, knowing that You are with them in every moment.

We ask that You would guide Marco Rubio in his international relationships, that he may be a force for good in the world. May he be an instrument of reconciliation where there is strife, a peacemaker where there is division, and a bearer of truth in a world that often chooses falsehood. We pray that he would have favor with both world leaders and the people of this nation, and that he would always act in a way that honors You.

Lord, we place Secretary Rubio and his family into Your hands, trusting that You will guide them with Your wisdom and protect them with Your loving care. May Your peace fill their hearts, and may they be ever mindful of Your presence in their lives. Use him mightily for the good of this nation and for the advancement of Your Kingdom on earth.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen.

January 21, 2025, 1:21 am

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