Who Is Marco Rubio's Wife? New Details On Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio
They have four children.
getty Many probably recognize Marco Rubio for his failed campaign in the 2016 presidential election. Though he won primaries in the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Puerto Rico, he eventually lost to the now-president.
Since 2010, he has served as a U.S. Senator from Florida and was previously the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Rubio was also the City Commissioner for West Miami and represented the 111th district in the Florida House of Representatives.
Through it all, he’s counted on his family and wife for support. Because having a career in politics isn’t easy, especially when you have young children, he’s lucky to have a wife that stands by his side. But just who is Marco Rubio's wife? Here are 8 things to know about Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio and what their lives are like in the spotlight.
1. She’s a former cheerleader.
Rubio was a Miami Dolphins cheerleader, along with her sister Adriana. She was featured in the cheerleaders’ first swimsuit catalog before leaving in 1996. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, her husband said, “I always wanted to be an NFL player. And now I’m going to have to tell my kids that the only one of her two parents that ever touched an NFL field was her mom.”
2. They met at a party.
Though they went to the same high school, they eventually met at a neighborhood party when he was 19 and she was 17. They were slightly acquainted in high school but hit things off in college, where she attended Miami Dade College and her husband went to the University of Florida.
3. They’ve been married for 20 years.
The couple married in 1998 in a Catholic ceremony at the Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables, Florida.
4. They have four kids.
Together, the Rubios have four children, two boys and two girls: Daniella, Amanda, Dominick, and Anthony.
5. They are religious.
The family attends church at a Catholic church, as well as Protestant worship services at an Evangelical megachurch. Rubio also hosts a weekly Bible study in their home, and her children attend a private Protestant-Christian school.
6. She wasn’t really part of his campaign.
When Rubio was running for Speaker, he appointed Jeanette to manage the political action committees. She didn’t make any campaign speeches and instead highlighted her past career as a cheerleader.
7. Because her main focus is their children.
According to her, being with their kids is the most important thing to her. “I’m not pushing myself out there. I need to be with (the) kids just to give them that balance. If he’s out there, I feel like I have to be here for them, to give them that reality. In the future, if I have to do it, of course I’ll do it. But in general, I am shy.”
8. She volunteers.
In her spare time, she volunteers for Kristi’s House, an organization that helps the youth in the Miami area who have been involved in human trafficking or abuse. She also works part-time for the Braman Family Foundation, which manages donations to nonprofits and charities. The founder of the organization, Norman Braman, donated $10 million to Rubio’s campaign and super PAC, and is a close friend of their family.
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.