At Google, Rubio used ride-sharing restrictions as an example of an issue that young voters care about, noting that “for the first time, I see young people that potentially might be friendly to more government involvement in our economy arguing against regulatory impediments to an existing business—in this case, government crowding them out.”

Rubio’s focus on wonky, tech-centric issues signals a noticeable departure from his advocacy for immigration reform, which he helped pass out of the Senate last year before the House drove the issue off the table. The first-term senator has not limited his pet priorities to the tech world, just as Sen. Rand Paul’s aggressive criticism of government surveillance hasn’t been at the expense of other issues.

But on Monday, Rubio stuck to script, pointing to how startups like Uber are inspiring examples of the American dream at work. He largely deflected a question on whether an issue like ride-sharing regulation could be used to attract young voters.