Jeb Bush, the second son of former US President George H
W Bush, has announced on social media that he is to "actively explore"
the possibility of running for the presidency of the United States in
the 2016 election.
Bush
served as the Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007 and is the younger
brother of the most recent Bush to enter the Oval Office, George W Bush.
In a Facebook post, Bush said that he and his wife, Columba, spoke about his decision over the Thanksgiving holiday.
"We...talked
about the future of our nation. As a result of these conversations and
thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think
America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of
running for President of the United States.
"In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America."
However,
he is not expected to announce his decision of whether to run for
presidency or not until 2015 "after gauging support", according to his
spokeswoman Kristy Campbell.
Bush is a politician
with pro-immigration views, believing that illegal immigrants are not
felons but people who should be welcomed into the country.
In a speech in April he said: "Yes, they broke the law, but it's not a felony. It's an act of love, it's an act of commitment to your family."
His mother, Barbara Bush, famously claimed last year that America "had enough Bushes" and many Americans seem to agree with Barbara given the toxicity of the Bush name following the war on terror.
A Wall Street Journal poll earlier this year revealed that 69% of those surveyed concurred with Barbara's statement.
Bush speaks Spanish, has a Mexican wife and in the 1998 race to become Governor of Florida, gained 61% of the Hispanic vote.