U.S. Senator Rubio could announce White House bid April 13: report

[March 30, 2015]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is likely to make an announcement on his bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on April 13 in Miami, according to a local news report.

The Cuban-American from Florida has reserved the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami for an undisclosed event, the Tampa Bay Times reported on Friday night. It said the venue was a potential spot for Rubio to make his presidential bid official.

The 1926 Mediterranean-style building was used to process and help refugees fleeing communist Cuba after Fidel Castro seized power there in 1959, the Tampa paper said.

Rubio spokesman Alex Conant said on Saturday no final decisions have been made about when and where the senator would make an announcement. Conant has previously said the announcement would come in early April.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas announced his bid for the Republican nomination on Monday and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky planned to make his intentions known on April 7.

Rubio's fellow Floridian, former Governor Jeb Bush, has formed an exploratory committee but has yet to make his White House bid official.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tiffany Wu)

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