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Two more individuals officially declared their intention to seek the presidency this week, bringing the total number of announced candidates to 16 – four Democrats and 12 Republicans. On Monday at Miami-Dade College, former Florida Governor and presidential son and brother, Jeb Bush, formally declared his national candidacy. Mr. Bush’s speech focused on what he believed to be failures of the current administration and the likelihood that similar policies would continue under a President Hillary Clinton. Mr. Bush’s first campaign for public office was in 1994 when he narrowly lost the Florida gubernatorial election by two percentage points. He ran again four years later defeating the state’s lieutenant governor. When voters re-elected him in 2002, Mr. Bush became the state’s first two-term Republican governor. In addition to his service as Florida’s chief executive, Mr. Bush has also had a successful career in the private sector working in the banking, real estate, and telecommunications industries. The national RealClearPolitics Average of recent national polls has Mr. Bush leading the field with just 10.8 percent. Nipping at his heels are Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (10.6 percent), Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (10 percent), and Dr. Ben Carson (9.4 percent). Mr. Bush also leads in the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina. As promised, businessman Donald Trump also announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination before what he claimed were thousands of people at his palatial Trump Towers in New York City. The media estimated the in-room audience to be less than 1,000, and recent reports allege that Mr. Trump may have hired extras to make the room look fuller. Mr. Trump is not expected to be particularly competitive. His favorability numbers are consistently among the worst of any Republican candidate by a large margin; in some polls his negatives triple his positive rating. The new candidate also says he will self-fund his presidential campaign, and certainly has the money to do so. Talk as he may, Donald Trump is no threat to win the Republican nomination. The presidential contest also includes Dr. Ben Carson (R), former Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-R.I.), former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D), U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), businesswoman Carly Fiorina (R), former Governor Lincoln Chafee (D-R.I.), former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.), former Governor Martin O’Malley (D-Md.), U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), former Governor Rick Perry (R-Texas), U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Also considering a bid are Vice President Joe Biden (D) who will decide by August 1, Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.), Governor Bobby Jindal (R-La.) who is expected to announce on June 24, Governor John Kasich (R-Ohio), Governor Scott Walker (R-Wis.) who is expected to announce in July, and former U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.). For more information, please contact David Ashinoff at ashinoffd@agc.org or (202) 547-5013. Return to Top |
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