MIAMI --
Standing in front of a banner that proclaimed "A New American Century" and repeating that refrain throughout his kickoff speech, the 43-year-old Cuban-American used his first turn as a Republican presidential candidate to take on two of America's political dynasties. In doing so, he bet heavily on the electorate's frustrations with Washington and his ability to change how his party is seen by voters.
"This election is not just about what laws we are going to pass," Rubio told his evening rally. "It is a generational choice about what kind of country we will be."
He said it's also a choice between the haves and have-nots, nodding to his own upbringing by working-class parents. "I live an exceptional country where the son of a bartender and a maid can have the same dreams and the same future as those who come from power and privilege."
Earlier in the day, the first-term Republican from Florida spoke to his top donors and told them many families feel the American Dream is slipping away and young Americans face unequal opportunities. He's banking on the hope that he, alone among many GOP rivals, can make inroads with groups that have long eluded Republicans - young people, minorities and the less affluent.
"I feel uniquely qualified to not just make that argument, but to outline the policies that we need to have in order to achieve it," he said on the donor call.
In his televised speech, he told supporters, "The time has come for our generation to lead the way toward a new American century."
Rubio's remarks came as Clinton was traveling to Iowa on her first trip as a candidate. Her entrance into the race with an online video Sunday is robbing some attention from Rubio's splash into the race.
But Rubio saw an opportunity to cast the presidential contest as one between a fresh face representing a new generation of leadership and familiar faces harking back decades - namely, the 62-year-old Bush and the 67-year-old Clinton.
"While our people and economy are pushing the boundaries of the 21st century, too many of our leaders and their ideas are stuck in the 20th century," Rubio said to applause.
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Republican Sen. Marco Rubio tells donors he is running for president