--- title: Marco Rubio Super PAC Releases South Carolina Ad description: Rubio backers recruited Congressman Trey Gowdy to pitch his home state. canonical: https://time.com/4167792/marco-rubio-trey-gowdy-south-carolina-ad/ author: Daniel White article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-05T17:11:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:48.234Z article:section: Politics og:title: Marco Rubio Super PAC Releases South Carolina TV Ad og:description: Rubio's backers recruited Congressman Trey Gowdy to pitch his home state. og:url: https://time.com/4167792/marco-rubio-trey-gowdy-south-carolina-ad/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1372d52e0c7a0d8e/69887794428a9eb113cd0caf/gettyimages-502932560.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio Holds Town Halls With Trey Gowdy og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Marco Rubio Super PAC Releases South Carolina TV Ad twitter:description: Rubio's backers recruited Congressman Trey Gowdy to pitch his home state. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1372d52e0c7a0d8e/69887794428a9eb113cd0caf/gettyimages-502932560.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Marco Rubio Super PAC Releases South Carolina TV Ad > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Jan 5, 2016 5:11 PM UTC  Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and 2016 presidential candidate, speaks during a town hall meeting at the Pella Golf and Country Club in Pella, Iowa, U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015\. Rubio found himself under siege on two fronts Tuesday over his attendance record in the U.S. Senate as the Florida lawmaker embarked on a swing through snowy Iowa. Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and 2016 presidential candidate, speaks during a town hall meeting at the Pella Golf and Country Club in Pella, Iowa, U.S., on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015\. Rubio found himself under siege on two fronts Tuesday over his attendance record in the U.S. Senate as the Florida lawmaker embarked on a swing through snowy Iowa. Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty Images by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Jan 5, 2016 5:11 PM UTC The super PAC supporting Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio aired its first television ad Tuesday in South Carolina. A 30-second spot by the Conservative Solutions PAC recruits South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy to pitch his home state on the merits of the Senator from Florida. “Our Founding Fathers gave us a President and a Commander in Chief because they understood that national security and public safety are the foundations of a free people, and there is nobody better on those two issues than Marco Rubio,” Gowdy says in the ad. The ad is the first in a series of expected moves from Rubio’s super PAC in the crucial early-voting state of South Carolina, which holds its Republican presidential primary on Feb. 20. FOX News reports that it is the [first in a significant statewide buy](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/05/exclusive-rubio-super-pac-airs-first-tv-ad-in-south-carolina.html), but would not specify the exact cost of the TV spot. Rubio is currently polling third behind Trump and Cruz in South Carolina, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. **Read More:** [_Rubio Super PAC Blasts Christie’s Record, Ties to Obama_](http://time.com/4166690/marco-rubio-chris-christie-super-pac-ad/) ### Marco Rubio's Life in Pictures  Marco Rubio and his father outside his parents first home in Miami, Fla., 1972. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio in 6th grade. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio during the Southern Nevada youth football conference, Yesco Cavaliers in Las Vegas, Nev., 1982 Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  High school photograph of Marco Rubio from his 1989 yearbook. Courtesy South Miami Senior High School  South Miami Senior High yearbook photo of Marco Rubio in 1989. Courtesy South Miami Senior High School  From right Marco Rubio with his mother and sister Veronica during his graduation from the University of Miami law school in 1996\. Veronica graduated from Florida international university bachelor’s degree. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio with his wife, Jeanette and his parents on his wedding day on Oct. 17, 1998. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Jeanette Rubio and Marco Rubio holding their youngest child Amanda Rubio in 2000. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Then representative Marco Rubio talks with a colleague during House session in Tallahassee, Fla., on April 1, 2004\. At age 32, Rubio was one of the youngest legislators. Phil Coale—AP  Marco Rubio greets Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, on his way to being sworn in as the new speaker of the Florida House in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 21, 2006. Steve Cannon—AP  Vice President Joe Biden swears in Senator Marco Rubio to the U.S. Senate, as his wife, Jeanette Rubio looks on, in Washington, on Jan. 5, 2010 . Mary F. Calvert—MCT/Getty Images  Marco Rubio with his son, Anthony Rubio, father, Mario Rubio and daughter Amanda Rubio as he signs election documents officially qualifying him as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Miami, Fla., on April 27, 2010. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  From left, Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek greet each other before the start of their debate at the studios of WESH-TV in Winter Park, Fla., on Oct. 26, 2010. Joe Burbank—MCT/Getty Images  Then Florida Republican U.S. Senate nominee Marco Rubio celebrates with his family after winning the election in Coral Gables, Fla., on Nov. 2, 2010. Mike Stocker—MCT/Getty Images  Marco Rubio and his sons Anthony, 5, right, and Dominic, 3, make their way to a swearing in ceremony for the 112th Congress in the Old Senate Chamber in Washington on Jan. 5, 2011. Tom Williams—Roll Call/Getty Images  Senator Marco Rubio during a visit to the El Paso sector of the United States/Mexico border on Nov. 4, 2011. Courtesy Senator Marco Rubio  Senator Marco Rubio greets fans and signs copies of his book "An American Son" at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Fla., on June 30, 2012. Aaron Davidson—Getty Images  Former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks with Senator Marco Rubio while flying from Pensacola to Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 27, 2012. Emmanuel Dunand—AFP/Getty Images  Senator Marco Rubio listens to a question alongside Senator John McCain, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Dick Durbin during a press conference on an agreement for principles on comprehensive immigration reform framework at the US Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 28, 2013. 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