Jeb Bush sets June 15 announcement date
Jeb Bush will announce his presidential campaign plans on June 15 at an event in South Florida, his committee announced Thursday.
In a tweet sent early in the day, Bush promoted an event "coming soon" in a link titled "jebannouncement.com."
"This event will take place Monday, June 15, 2015," the website says. "Doors open at 1:00 PM (EDT) at the Miami Dade College Kendall Campus."
Bush, a former Florida governor who is the son and brother of former presidents, has made education a major theme of the runup to his expected campaign for the presidency.
"Governor Bush is thankful for the support and encouragement he has received from so many Americans during the last several months and looks forward to announcing his decision," said spokeswoman Kristy Campbell. The scheduling of the June 15 date comes after critics have spent weeks accusing Bush of skirting campaign laws by raising big sums and traveling the country without formally declaring his candidacy. Declared candidates must abide by strict campaign limits.
"I hope I'm a candidate in the near future," Bush said in an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS' Face The Nation. "And if I am a candidate, by the way, I'm going to have a chance to talk about my record, share my heart, and offer ideas that will give people a sense that their future might be brighter than what we have today."
The announcement will also come after Bush takes a foreign trip next week to Germany, Poland and Estonia.
In the pre-announcement period, Bush has been criticized by Republican conservatives over his support for a new immigration bill and Common Core education standards. Others have questioned whether voters will support a third Bush presidency in the past three decades.
Bush's opponents in a crowded Republican presidential race include a fellow Floridian, Sen. Marco Rubio.
Former Texas governor Rick Perry will announce his Republican presidential campaign on Thursday.
Other announced GOP candidates: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, businesswoman Carly Fiorina, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former New York governor George Pataki and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is also expected to run. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and businessman Donald Trump are also considering Republican presidential campaigns.