MIAMI — In an interview with POLITICO, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) criticized recent court rulings legalizing same-sex marriage in Florida on Jan. 5.

The potential presidential hopeful said a federal district court’s move undermines the will of most Florida voters who approved a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage six years ago. He argued that same-sex marriage proponents should have taken the issue to the ballot box or through the legislature instead.

“If they wanted to change that law, they should have gone to the legislature or back to the Constitution and try to change it,” Rubio said. “I don’t agree we should be trying to make those changes through the courts.”

The junior senator’s comments come as Florida became the 36th state to allow same-sex marriage.

His comments are a departure from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who issued a more conciliatory statement earlier this week.

“We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,” Bush said. “I hope that we can also show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue — including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.”

The differing assessments showcase the challenges within the GOP to reconcile the views of its staunch social conservative base with the growing public support for same-sex marriage.

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