Bob Dole endorses Marco Rubio

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Former Senate Majority Leader and 1996 Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole is throwing his support behind Sen. Marco Rubio now that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has left the race.

ABC News reported Dole's endorsement Monday afternoon.

"He worked for my '96 campaign in Dade County, Florida, and so I've had an acquaintance with him way back in '96 when he was a hard worker," Dole told ABC News. "As much as I love John Kasich, you know, Rubio is probably a better candidate. And he's young. He wants to grow the party as opposed to [Ted] Cruz. I don't know what he wants to grow."

Dole told conservative magazine National Review last week that Rubio was his second choice, after Bush.

In January, Dole lambasted Cruz for his failure to build bridges with fellow GOP senators, and said that Donald Trump would be better suited to make deals on Capitol Hill.

Dole's endorsement of Rubio comes just two days after Rubio took home second place in the South Carolina GOP primary. Cruz was in third place, while Kasich landed in a three-way tie for fourth place with Bush and Dr. Ben Carson. Bush dropped out of the race later that evening.