WASHINGTON — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, considered a dream vice-presidential candidate by many Republicans, was once a Mormon before going back to Catholicism, Rubio’s office confirmed yesterday.
Rubio’s religious background could make him a tough sell for the second spot on a possible ticket with Mitt Romney, a lifelong Mormon.
Nominees typically balance multiple factors, including religion, in picking running mates.
Rubio was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at about age 8, when his family lived near Las Vegas in the 1970s, two cousins who worshipped with him told the Web site BuzzFeed.
Michelle Denise, one of the cousins, said Rubio’s mother and sisters also converted but not his father, a casino bartender. “He liked to smoke and drink,” she told the site.
Rubio, 40, speaks frequently about his Catholic faith but also attends a nondenominational church. He hasn’t discussed his time as a Mormon, and his family went back to Catholicism when he was 12.
A spokesman said Rubio plans to describe his religious upbringing in his forthcoming book.