Sen. Marco Rubio Wins CPAC Vice Presidential Straw Poll

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was the clear favorite among conservative activists to be Mitt Romney's running mate in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) vice presidential straw poll Friday.

Rubio topped the list of potential contenders with 30 percent of the vote at the one-day Chicago event, more than double his nearest competitor.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came in second with 14 percent, followed by while Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) with 9 percent and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) with 8 percent of the crowd. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal placed fifth.

Rubio's straw poll win was nearly identical to the conference poll in February, when he was also the top choice among CPAC-goers in Washington, D.C.

The poll results have no bearing on who Romney will ultimately tap, but are a clear indication of what conservatives would like to see.

Rubio has repeatedly denied having any interest in accepting the No. 2 spot.