Jeb Bush Announces Florida Backers

Just days before former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to declare his candidacy for the White House, his team has announced a number of heavy-hitting Republican backers from the Sunshine State.

Backers include all three Florida Cabinet members and 11 members of Congress.

“Jeb Bush’s executive leadership experience both as Governor of Florida and in the private sector make him exceptionally qualified to renew America’s economic promise and restore our leadership role in the world,” Congressman Carlos Curbelo, from Florida’s 26th District, was quoted in a media release as saying. “From a very young age, Jeb Bush has stood strong for the Republican Party and its principles, and I am proud to stand with him today.”

The endorsements, Bush’s team said, are especially important because they come from people who are able to “convey firsthand the compassion Gov. Bush showed for the people who elected him governor.”

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• Jeb Bush Set to Enter Race

“It is an honor to endorse a leader who has done so much for Florida,” Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was quoted as saying. “I’ve known Jeb Bush for over a decade and witnessed how his strong conservative policies allowed our economy to prosper and grow. As a former prosecutor, I will always be thankful for his dedication in ensuring that those in charge of our security had the tools they needed to keep our citizens safe.”

Other announced endorsements include:

• Jeff Atwater, Chief Financial Officer
• Adam Putnam, Commission of Agriculture
• Gus Bilirakis, Congressman FL - 12th District
• Vern Buchanan, Congressman FL - 16th District
• Ander Crenshaw, Congressman FL - 4th District
• Mario Diaz Balart, Congressman FL - 25th District
• David Jolly, Congressman FL - 13th District
• Jeff Miller, Congressman FL - 1st District
• John Mica, Congressman FL - 7th District
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Congresswoman FL - 27th District
• Dennis Ross, Congressman FL - 15th District
• Daniel Webster, Congressman FL - 10th District

“It’s an honor to receive such a strong show of support from some of Florida’s finest elected officials who’ve dedicated their lives to creating opportunities for Floridians to achieve earned success,” Bush was quoted in the release as saying. “Our state reflects a 21st Century America, and serves as an example for the rest of the nation in how to clean up the mess in Washington, D.C.”

Bush is expected to announce his candidacy during an event at Miami-Dade College Monday. For more details on the announcement, visit his website.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has also entered the presidential race on the Republican side. The fellow Floridian also chose a Miami location to announce his bid.

Photo courtesy of the Bush team