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Rep. Murphy To Run For Rubio's Senate Seat

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WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — A Palm Beach Democrat who unseated tea party Rep. Allen West in 2012 has his eyes on a new prize.

Rep. Patrick Murphy has announced that he will seek the Senate seat expected to be left vacant by Marco Rubio's likely presidential bid.

Murphy, 31, will run regardless of Rubio's decision, and though he could face tough competition, he focused his initial attention squarely on the first-term senator.

"For years, Sen. Rubio has put the needs of Floridians behind his presidential ambitions," Murphy said in a statement. "We need a leader in the Senate whose eyes are firmly fixed on the people of Florida by working together to get things done."

Murphy immediately becomes a formidable candidate whomever his eventual opponent.

He defeated West as a 29-year-old political novice, in a district that tilts slightly Republican. Two years later, in a re-election bid many anticipated would be close, he easily turned away his opponent.

Murphy was previously a Republican who donated to the 2008 campaign of Mitt Romney, among others. And he has parted ways with the Democratic leadership, voting to create a House committee to investigate the Benghazi, Libya, attack that killed four Americans; voting in favor of the Keystone pipeline; and co-sponsoring the GOP-led "Keep Your Health Plan Act," which would have allowed insurers to continue offering plans that didn't meet Affordable Care Act rules.

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In his statement released Monday, Murphy called himself "a consensus-builder" and "an independent voice."

"I'm running for the U.S. Senate for the same reason I ran for Congress in 2012 – Washington is full of hyper-partisan politicians who can't, or won't, get anything done, and Florida deserves better. I'm a consensus-builder who is working to boost the economy by cutting waste in government, raise the minimum wage, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and protect the Everglades. I've done all of this by being an independent voice for Florida, and that's what the Senate needs more of right now."

Murphy's announcement comes after two higher-profile Democrats — former Gov. Charlie Crist and Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz — said they wouldn't run, easing his way to the nomination. Among others who have expressed interest in the race is Rep. Alan Grayson, posing the chance of a primary matchup between a controversial liberal and the much more moderate Murphy.

Rubio has said he would not run for re-election to the Senate while pursuing the presidency, and a number of Republicans are said to be eyeing his seat, including Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Jeff Atwater, the state's chief financial officer.

Murphy is a born-and-raised Floridian who was an accountant before working for his family's construction company. In launching his political career, he targeted West, who he said was "an embarrassment to the country." When redrawn boundaries made West's district far less favorable to the GOP, the Republican bolted for one further north and Murphy followed. The resulting contest was epic, culminating in weeks of recounts and court appearances before West finally conceded.

It still ranks as the most expensive House race in U.S. history, and made Murphy the youngest member of the 113th Congress.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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