Marco Rubio: Florida can support me and Jeb Bush in 2016

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Marco Rubio says Florida can handle two favorite sons in the 2016 presidential race.

The senator suggested in an NPR interview, airing New Year's Day, that he isn't fazed by the moves being made by former Florida governor Jeb Bush toward a White House bid.

"We certainly know a lot of the same people, we also know some different people," Rubio told NPR's Steve Inskeep. "I don't believe if I decide to run for president that that will be an impediment."

In an interview with the New York Times Magazine, Rubio said his friendship with his mentor won't get in the way. "If I don't run, it won't be because Jeb is running. Maybe if you're going to run for county commissioner or to be on the mosquito abatement board or something like that, you may not want to run against a friend of yours," he said.

Rubio told NPR that he's "closer to a decision" on 2016 than he was a month ago.

Since announcing that he will "actively explore" a presidential bid, Bush has surged to the lead for the Republican nomination in a new CNN/ORC International poll. Bush has 23% support in the survey, while Rubio garners 5%.

Mel Sembler, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman from Florida, was quoted in a recent USA TODAY story about Bush's potential candidacy as saying Rubio should consider running for re-election to the Senate in 2016 instead of launching a White House campaign. "I think Jeb will pretty well monopolize the donor base in Florida," Sembler told our colleague Fredreka Schouten.

Donors from Florida contributed more than $50.8 million to 2012 presidential candidates, according to data compiled by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

The NPR interview with Rubio will air Thursday during the Morning Edition program.