Florida Lt. Gov. Lopez-Cantera to enter US Senate race

MIAMI (AP) – Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is entering the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by his close friend Marco Rubio, who is running for president.

The 41-year-old Republican will make his announcement Wednesday afternoon at the headquarters of All American Containers, a Miami company whose owner and employees have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to mostly Republican candidates.

Lopez-Cantera joins Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, who has already declared.

Democratic Congressmen Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson are also running for the seat. The race is expected to draw national attention from both major parties and the media as it is seen as a possible Democratic pickup.