Jeb Bush

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11 1953), a Republican, is the forty-third and current Governor of Florida. He is a prominent member of the Bush family, the younger brother of President George W. Bush and the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Pierce.

Political future

Bush is widely considered to be a rising star of the Republican Party; there was some speculation that he might run for President himself in 2008. However, on October 17, 2004, he denied interest in running in the 2008 election. Some have guessed that Bush would run against Florida's current Democratic senator, Bill Nelson, in the 2006 U.S. Senate election.

Related Topics:
2008 - October 17 - 2004 - 2008 election - Bill Nelson - 2006 U.S. Senate election

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Bush's appeal to Florida voters

Bush is very popular among Cubans in Florida (winning 80% of the Cuban vote in 2002), and popular among non-Cuban Hispanics (56% in 2002, equaling the 56% he won statewide). As a longtime supporter of Israel, Bush also maintains a significant connection to Florida's Jewish voters. He was endorsed in his two winning governor races by a national Jewish publication, and won 44% of the state's Jewish vote in the 2002 governor's race. Many black voters support his focus on public education and parental choice in education, and a number of Black Republican clubs have sprung up in Florida. In his re-election in 2002, Bush surprised critics by winning the white female vote in the swing-voting battleground of Central Florida's I-4 corridor. Most recently, he has reached out extensively to Florida's Haitian community, taking on a unique leadership role to help rebuild that neighboring country and assist its impoverished people.

Related Topics:
Cuba - Florida - 2002 - Hispanics

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Bush's impact on his political party

Bush's appeal to Florida's highly diverse group of voters, along with his groundbreaking second term and success in expanding the so-called "big tent" of the Florida Republican Party, appears to have propelled him into a commanding political position. Nationwide, American conservatives appear to be positive about Bush, seeing him as committed to upholding core conservative principles. Bush strives to personally keep in touch with his base, as when he emailed his thanks to his most devoted supporters, on a conservative web site, within 24 hours after winning the 2002 governor's race. Throughout his two administrations, Bush's office has touted his record of non-discrimination and rewarding merit, claiming he employs highly qualified women, blacks and other minorities more often in top-level government positions than any previous Florida governor.

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Republican candidates in Florida seem to have likewise benefited from Bush's leadership, turning the state's Senate and House of Representatives into solid Republican majorities during Bush's time in office. Outside of Florida, fellow Republican leaders throughout the country have sought Bush's aid both on and off the campaign trail. Bush's out of state campaign visits include Kentucky, where Republican challenger Ernie Fletcher appeared with Bush and won that state's governorship in 2003, ending a 32-year streak of Democratic governors. On the West Coast, after Democratic Governor Gray Davis was ousted in a California recall vote, Bush dispatched Florida's budget director to that state to lead an independent audit of California's budget, at the request of the state's newly elected Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Related Topics:
Kentucky - Ernie Fletcher - Gray Davis - Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Bush's on-going interests

Bush has also been active in the neo-conservative Project for the New American Century, whose goal is to promote American global leadership. In addition, since 2004, he has been serving a four-year term as a Board Member for the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB).

Related Topics:
Project for the New American Century - American

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Created by Congress, this board?s purpose is to establish policy on reports examining K-12 students? academic progress in America?s public and private schools. In 2008 Bush will be serving on the NAGB educational committee focused on Standards, Design and Methodology.

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Although Bush had denied interest in a 2008 White House run, and publicly said he will not run for a US Senate seat in 2006, he did create a new web site for himself in 2004, the first time he has done so when not officially a candidate.

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