Although they can't vote, kids were disappointed by Marco Rubio's exit from the Republican presidential nomination race on Tuesday. Several who attended Rubio's exit speech at Florida International University began crying after the senator announced his decision. And a group of students and friends from Florida Christian School say they'll miss working on the campaign.
Thirteen-year-old Lauren Alonso had been recruiting voters outside early polling places and on the phone. With her mom, brother and sister, she went to North Carolina to show her support for Rubio. Alonso said she'll miss going to campaign headquarters after school.
"It makes me really sad," she said. "It makes me just kind of mad that he ended it here... and I’m just sad for the whole family that they have to go through this now. Just really sad."
Alonso's friend and Florida Christian School classmate Daniella Harris, 13, said she's become closer to Alonso by working on the campaign "because we've spent so much time together."
"I just feel like we were making a difference," Harris said.
Lauren Alonso’s mom, Gina Alonso, said her kids got involved with the Rubio campaign after she started working weekends at the campaign office. Gina Alonso said she’ll miss campaigning for Rubio because it’s been a chance to work with her kids on something the entire family’s passionate about.
"To see them work hard for something that they stand for, that’s what I want for my kids when they grow up," she said.
The Alonsos and Daniella Harris say they think and hope Rubio will run again, maybe for Florida governor in 2018 or in the 2020 presidential race. They all say they’d want to work on his next campaign.
