Mormons for Marco

Could Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s personal ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints give him a leg up on other GOP candidates?

It seems that the Rubio camp is concentrating on this influential demographic, according to a report published Monday by Politico. And the key to gaining its support in his bid for the 2016 GOP nomination lies in Nevada politics.

“When we left the church a few years later, mostly at my instigation, we did so with gratitude for its considerable contribution to our happiness in those years.”

“In Nevada, LDS voters are a critical voting bloc,” Jack St. Martin, president of Engage Nevada, told the publication. “They are civically active, organized, highly informed and incredibly influential. Just look at the number of past and present LDS elected officials, of both parties, and you understand how much they enrich Nevada politics.”

At the tender age of 8, Rubio and his family converted to Mormonism for a time before returning to Catholicism. In his book “American Son,” Rubio wrote of this reversion: “When we left the church a few years later, mostly at my instigation, we did so with gratitude for its considerable contribution to our happiness in those years.”

Rubio, Florida’s junior U.S. senator, also complimented the Mormon community in his book: “All in all, the Mormon church provided the sound moral structure my mother had wanted for us, and a circle of friends from stable, God-fearing families.”

While his short jaunt as a Mormon may be insignificant, it seems that many LDS believers are swaying his way, and not without reason.

In recent weeks, Rubio has been campaigning hard, particularly in Nevada, for the Mormon vote by way of private meetings and fundraising events. He already has received support from key players in the Nevada political world. One of these is Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison.

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Hutchison even held an event for Rubio at his home in Las Vegas, where Rubio also lived for several years in his youth. Most of those in attendance were Mormons. However, Rubio did not mention his own personal connection to the religion. That’s the right move when trying to win over Mormon voters, one Rubio supporter told Politico.

“It would’ve been a misstep if he had done that — too obvious,” Assemblyman Erven Nelson said.

Rubio also has a number of his own personal connections in the Las Vegas community, including members of his extended family.

It seems that for now, Rubio has the Mormon vote on his side, although it’s not unanimous among the LDS community. Support for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is still present and viable.

But the wind is blowing Rubio’s direction, and the Mormon vote would be an advantage he wants and is clearly trying to win.