A.G. Gancarski
The Jacksonville area is make or break for Sen. Marco Rubio in his Senate race, and he had a welcome opportunity for a Jacksonville-centric news item Tuesday, when the United States Navy announced three new ships will call Mayport Naval Station home.
One of those ships,the USS Thomas Hudner, is a destroyer.
The other two, the USS Wichita and USS Sioux City, are littoral combat ships.
Rubio greeted the three ships with a three paragraph statement.
“This is welcome news for Northeast Florida’s military community, which plays a vital role in defending our nation. We look forward to welcoming more than 400 sailors and their families who will soon be calling the Jacksonville area home. For those of us who represent Northeast Florida in Congress, today’s news is a welcome development that should give us momentum to finally bring a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Mayport in the coming years,” Rubio wrote.
“Mayport is the second-largest homeport on the east coast, and in addition to serving as the Navy’s principal east coast location for the LCS, I am pleased the Navy is increasing its commitment to Mayport with the delivery of a new Areligh Burke Class Destroyer, which I have advocated for throughout my term,” Rubio added.
“Florida must continue to be a military-friendly state,” Rubio concluded, “with policies that recognize the national security, economic and community benefits of growing our state’s military presence. Getting rid of the defense sequester is a key part of strengthening our nation and making sure our military is better prepared to confront new threats.”
Sen. Rubio has been aggressive, compared to the Patrick Murphy campaign, in cultivating Northeast Florida votes. With this statement, he was able to speak to work he has done in the Senate, while making the case that his work is far from done.
