Will Rubio be the last establishment man standing?

That leaves Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who ironically held the title of front-runner for much of last year. After a setback pushing comprehensive immigration reform, he’s begun to raise his profile again by calling for a more muscular foreign policy, an issue that’s beginning to loom large in 2016 and one in which he’s one of the few prospective GOP candidates with experience. Rubio’s Hispanic background, charisma, and prolific fundraising are fundamental advantages that he holds over his competition. And he’s one of the few contenders with solid vote ratings from outside conservative groups such as the Club for Growth, without diminishing his stature among establishment Republicans.

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Rubio has accumulated more than $2.6 million in his campaign accounts, and he’s expected to visit the early primary states in coming months. He teased the prospect of a presidential run to conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt, hinting he may not run for reelection to the Senate in 2016. At a time when Republicans are having trouble passing immigration policies to win over Hispanics, they may settle for getting behind a Cuban-American candidate with an inspirational life story as a backup plan.

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