Florida Republicans pick Marco Rubio for Senate race: AP

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio looks on during an official photo with Honduran Attorney General Oscar Chinchilla (not pictured) at the attorney's facilities in Tegucigalpa, Honduras May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race earlier this year, was chosen on Tuesday as the Republican Party nominee for a second U.S. Senate term from Florida, according to the Associated Press. Rubio was projected to win the party nominating contest in Florida over novice politician Carlos Beruff, a wealthy homebuilder. Rubio could face Democratic U.S. Representative Patrick Murphy, who was expected to win his party's nominating contest, in the Nov. 8 election. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney)