Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida drew a distinction between his working-class upbringing and the privileged circumstances of fellow Floridian Jeb Bush, the state's former governor.
Both men are considered potential candidates for the GOP's 2016 presidential nomination.
Making this year's first foray in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Rubio told a Politics & Eggs breakfast forum at St. Anselm College in Manchester that had his parents not moved to the United States in 1956, "there's no way in the world that I could have the same dreams, and potentially the same future, as the son of a president or the son of a millionaire,"
The Washington Post reported.
Bush is the son of president George H.W. Bush, brother of president George W. Bush, and a member of the successful family that made its millions in banking, oil and business.
On Monday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also took note of Bush's wealth, telling a gathering of Christian broadcasters in Nashville: "I realize that unlike some out there, I didn't inherit fame or fortune from my family. I got a bunch of things that were a whole lot better than that."
Rubio appeared to have left a generally favorable impression with those who heard his message,
Politico reported.
He called attention to his humble upbringing as the son of Cuban immigrants. His father was a bartender and his mother a cashier. Rubio also spoke about how he had only recently paid off his hefty college loans, the Post reported.
"He is a breath of fresh air," said Jay McQuaide who heard Rubio speak at the college.
The message of hard work paying off "will resonate," said Beverly Bruce, a business leader who raised money for Mitt Romney in 2012.
Retired FBI agent Bob Denz said Rubio's speech "wasn't bad," but that he wanted to hear actual details about how, for example, Rubio planned to restructure Social Security, the Post reported.
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