MILWAUKEE, July 15 (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has been informed he will not be Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on July 15.
Party advisers, who are expected to formally announce Trump’s running mate later that day, saw Rubio’s living in Florida, where both Trump and Rubio call home, as a disadvantage because the Constitution bars electors who formally choose the president and vice president from voting in their home states.
Rubio could likely have overcome this hurdle by moving out of state, but some advisers worried that media coverage of such a move would hinder the campaign.
Front-runners for the vice presidential nomination include Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, multiple sources told Reuters in recent days, but a source close to Trump said he did not see any dark horse candidates as of midday on Monday.
RNC 2024 Live Updates:Rubio and Burgum reportedly will not be selected as Trump’s running mate.
Rubio’s supporters say that as a Latino, he could broaden Trump’s base: The former president is most popular among white Americans but has made big gains among Hispanics in recent years.
Representatives for the Trump campaign and Rubio did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Nathan Lane, Alexandra Ulmer and Steve Holland; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Rami Ayyub and Ross Colvin)
