Marco Rubio courts conservative Christian voters in S.C.
Sen. Marco Rubio is making a play for the conservative Christian vote in South Carolina with a new list of religious advisers.
Friday's announcement signals the Florida senator intends to challenge front-runners for a share of the powerful evangelical vote when South Carolina Republicans hold their first-in-the-South presidential primary on Feb. 20.
Rubio is touting his opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion as part of his pitch to conservatives in the state.
"South Carolina voters, including evangelicals, trust Marco Rubio because of his unwavering commitment to conservative values that flow from his biblical worldview," said Buzz Jacobs, senior adviser to the Rubio campaign.
According to polls conducted during the 2012 primary in South Carolina, 65% of Republican voters described themselves as born-again or evangelical Christians.
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"Marco Rubio is a devoted husband and father who truly understands the unique challenges facing parents in this century, especially parents of faith," said Al Phillips, director of missions at the Greenville Southern Baptist Association. "He is dedicated to defending religious liberty and the rights of all Americans to not only hold traditional values, but to practice those values openly."
Donald Trump currently leads the GOP presidential field in South Carolina. He's followed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who particularly has targeted evangelicals in the campaign, with direct outreach to church leaders and church goers.
Rubio’s South Carolina Religious Liberty Advisory Board includes: Phillips; Rep. Dan Hamilton of Greenville; Randy Page, director of public relations at Bob Jones University and a board member at South Carolina Citizens for Life; Monsignor Steven Brovey from the Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston; Rep. Todd Atwater of Lexington; Marc Garcia, director of the Bridge Ministries; William Renfrow, board of advisers of the South Carolina Christian Chamber of Commerce; Chuck Hill, pastor of Vive Community Church in Columbia; Kevin Hall, former counsel to the South Carolina Republican Party; Joezel Alicea, pastor at Iglesia Nuevo Comienzo in Greer; David Janaro, pastor of Fairfax Baptist Church in Allendale; and Briley Hughes, outreach coordinator for the Palmetto Family Council.
Even if Cruz wins Iowa with a large share of that state’s evangelical voters, history shows that won't necessarily mean victory in South Carolina. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee won Iowa in 2008, and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum won there in 2012. South Carolina Republicans preferred Arizona Sen. John McCain and former House speaker Newt Gingrich in those years.
Rubio told Fox News on Thursday that his faith is the “single greatest influence on my life.”
“And when I get criticized, people say, ‘Oh, your faith has nothing do with your public service,’ you better hope that it does, because my faith teaches me that in order be a follower of Christ, I have to care for the less fortunate." Rubio said. "That it is my obligation — to care for my neighbor, to love one another, even to forgive and love your enemy."
Contributing: David Jackson