Jeb Bush, a scion of the Bush dynasty that has given America two presidents, is “more than likely” to make a run for the White House in 2016, his son has said.
“I think it’s more than likely that he’s (Jeb) giving this a serious thought in moving forward,” George P Bush told ABC News.
Asked if it was “more than likely” that his father will run for presidency as the Republican candidate, George said, “If you had asked me a few years back, I would’ve said it was less likely. The family will be behind him 100 per cent if he decides to do it.”
While Jeb’s brother George W Bush and father George H W Bush, both former presidents, have encouraged him to run, other members of the family, including his mother, Barbara Bush, have aired reservations.
A former Republican governor of Florida, 61-year-old Jeb is a favourite of the party’s establishment wing. If he runs, he is expected to draw on a deep well of support among the donor network cultivated by his father and brother.
Jeb has said he will only launch a bid if he can campaign unapologetically on the issues that are important to him. He has said he is likely to decide on a run after November’s midterm elections, by the end of the year.
While Jeb still assesses a bid for the presidency, his son George is making his first run for elected office, campaigning for the position of Texas land commissioner.
The position carries a portfolio ranging from managing the state’s land and mineral resources to administering programmes for veterans.
It also oversees the Permanent School Fund, which is the nation’s largest educational endowment at USD 37.7 billion.
Though this is his first run for office, George was immersed in Republican politics at a young age.
When he was 12-years-old, he recited the pledge of allegiance at the 1988 Republican National Convention, which nominated his grandfather, George H W Bush. In his 20s, he campaigned for his uncle George W Bush’s presidential run.
“It’s an overall positive for me,” George said of the Bush family name.
“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,” the 38-year-old said.
If George wins next Tuesday, he will hold the distinction of being the only Bush to win their first campaign.