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Jeb Bush 'seriously considering' standing as Republican candidate for US President in 2016 election

The former governor of Florida is the brother and son of two former US presidents – respectively George W Bush and George H W Bush

Ian Johnston
Monday 27 October 2014 02:55 GMT
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The former governor of Florida is the brother and son of two former US presidents – respectively George W Bush and George H W Bush
The former governor of Florida is the brother and son of two former US presidents – respectively George W Bush and George H W Bush

Jeb Bush is seriously considering standing as the Republican candidate for US President in the 2016 election, his son has said.

The former governor of Florida is the brother and son of two former US presidents – respectively George W Bush and George H W Bush – and, if he decides to run, he could well face Hillary Clinton, wife of another ex-president, Bill Clinton.

Jeb’s son George P Bush, who is standing to become Texas land commissioner, told ABC News: “I think it’s more than likely that he [Jeb Bush] is giving this a serious thought in moving forward.”

Asked if he meant “more than likely that he'll run?”, George P Bush confirmed “that he'll run”.

“If you had asked me a few years back, I would've said it was less likely,” he said.

He added that he would give his father “a hundred per cent” support if he decided to stand. Earlier this month, a Washington Post poll of Republicans put Jeb Bush in second place behind Mitt Romney as the preferred candidate.

Speaking about his own ambitions, George P Bush said his surname had been an “overall positive”.

“But I said from day one of my campaign, 23 months ago, that I am a man of my own right, who stands on my own two feet with my vision. And I need folks to evaluate me based on what I bring to the table,” he said.

He has been tipped as a future Texas governor and even yet another US President with the Bush surname, but he said he had not considered such high office.

“I haven’t, actually. I actually haven’t,” he said. “I’ve thought about service, but I never really understood how it would manifest itself.”

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