Marco Rubio was born on May 28, 1971, in Miami, Florida, to Cuban immigrants. As a child, he moved with his family to Las Vegas, Nevada, but they returned to Florida after several years. His parents worked in the service industry; his father was a bartender and his mother was a housekeeper.

Rubio graduated from South Miami Senior High School in 1989. He enrolled at Tarkio College in Missouri on a football scholarship for one year before transferring to Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida. He eventually graduated from the University of Florida in 1993. He chose to pursue law school afterwards, earning a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996.

During his law school years, Rubio worked for Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who was the first Cuban-American woman elected to the US House of Representatives. He began his own political career as a City Commissioner in West Miami in 1998. In 2000, he was elected in a special election to the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 111th district.

During his tenure, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Speaker of the Florida House in 2006. As Speaker, Rubio emphasized conservative economic policies and introduced the “100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future,” a legislative blueprint that became a hallmark of his leadership. Rubio’s eight-year term in the Florida House ended when he decided to run for one of Florida’s US Senate seats in 2010. While he initially faced a difficult primary race against then Governor Charlie Crist, Rubio steadily gained support from voters and won the election in a landslide, securing his position as Florida’s junior senator.

As US senator, Rubio generally focused on advancing conservative priorities while carving out a reputation as a policy-oriented lawmaker. He championed tax reform, pushed for a robust national defense, and played a key role in foreign policy matters, particularly concerning Latin America, China, and the Middle East. Rubio also gained attention for his work on immigration reform, serving as one of the leading voices in the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" effort to overhaul the immigration system. While the bill passed the Senate in 2013, it ultimately stalled in the House of Representatives.

Rubio used his bilingual abilities to connect with Spanish-speaking audiences. In 2013, he became the first politician to provide a Republican response to the State of the Union Address in both English and Spanish. Rubio's first term solidified his status as a rising star within the Republican Party, with many viewing him as a potential leader for a new generation of conservatives.

In 2015, Rubio launched his campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2016 US presidential election in a crowded GOP field that included Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. In March 2016, he dropped out of the race after losing the Florida primary to Trump. Following his failed presidential run, Rubio sought reelection to the Senate in 2016 and won. He was reelected again in 2022.

In the 2024 presidential election, Rubio endorsed former President Trump, choosing to support him over Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis. Following his victory, Trump nominated Rubio to be Secretary of State. On January 25, 2025, the US Senate confirmed Rubio unanimously as the Secretary of State, becoming the first Latino to hold the position.