Marco Rubio drops out of the 2016 presidential race

After a string of disappointing losses in Republican primary contests and a drubbing by Donald Trump in his home state of Florida, Marco Rubio ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Rubio's exit narrows the race for the GOP nomination to a contest between Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. What's more, Rubio's own political future is uncertain, as he is not running for reelection for his Senate seat.

"After tonight it is clear that while we are on the right side, this year we will not be on the winning side," Rubio told supporters in Florida, during a speech in which he talked about the divisions within his own party, as well as his own personal story.

Rubio's campaign was hurt after a weak performance in the March 8 primary contests; he came in dead last in Michigan and Mississippi. Losing his home state to Trump, the billionaire businessman who refers to him as "Little Marco," not only added insult to injury but sealed his fate.

Rubio's presidential campaign notched few victories, one in Minnesota and a second in Puerto Rico and a third in the District of Columbia, and he trailed far behind his rivals in the delegate count. While he repeatedly claimed that he was the only candidate in the race who could unite Republicans, his string of losses fueled the perception that he was incapable of winning the party's nomination.

In the closing days of his campaign, Rubio focused all his attention on his delegate-rich home state of Florida, essentially ignoring the handful of other states voting on Tuesday. He even went so far as to urge his supporters in Ohio to support Kasich instead, since he had better chances of winning there.

Florida launched Rubio onto the national political stage. in 2010, he rode the Tea Party Wave to Washington, besting a popular governor in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. But throughout the race, he lagged behind Trump in polls in his home state. In the final days of his campaign, he struggled to fill events and seemed to be more focused on rehabilitating his image than gaining the upper hand in the Republican race.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

During his concession speech, Rubio talked at length about the political climate this year, saying repeatedly that people are "very frustrated about the direction of this country."

"America is in the middle of a real political storm, a tsunami, and we should have seen this coming," Rubio told supporters. "But I chose a different route and I’m proud of that."

"America needs a vibrant conservative movement, but one that's built on principles and ideals, not on fear, not on anger, not on preying on people's frustrations," he said.

Like his other rivals for the Republican nomination, Rubio has pledged to support his party's eventual nominee. 

But over the weekend, he suggested he might feel differently, telling reporters that the events and tenor of Trump's campaign event made it harder for him to view the billionaire businessman as a viable candidate.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.