Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., held a fundraiser in Massachusetts on Monday for former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who is running for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., in November.
Great to be with Sen. Scott Brown and his family today, Bush announced on Monday. Proud to support his campaign for U.S. Senate.
Bush has been the subject of much speculation that he will follow in his fathers and brothers footsteps and run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Brown faces former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., in the September primary. After losing his Senate seat in 2002, Smith ran in the Republican primaries for the U.S. Senate in Florida back in 2004 and 2010.
In recent weeks, Bush has left open the door to running for the Republican presidential nomination though he has said there is no timeline for his decision.
Bush was not the only prominent Florida politician to focus on the Granite State this week. On Monday, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., led a Women-to-Women event in Portsmouth as Democrats try to rally women voters. Wasserman Schultz spoke at the home of New Hampshire state House Speaker Teri Norelli, and prominent Democrats like U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter and Portsmouth City Councilwoman Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Sen. Shaheen, attended the event.
Looking to rally Democrats for the fall, Wasserman Shultz tore into the GOP. The Republicans have no agenda, and the tea party has won and pulled it so far to the right, she said.
While Wasserman Schultz is considered a possible candidate for statewide office in the future, her name has generated no buzz as a Democratic presidential hopeful in 2016. Back in 2008, Wasserman Schultz supported then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for the Democratic presidential nomination and is expected to get behind her again in 2016.
Two other politicians from Florida who have left the door open to running for president in 2016 -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla. -- have been active in New Hampshire. Rubio appeared in the Granite State back in May and has been helping U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., as she runs for re-election in 2016. After losing to Democrat Patrick Murphy in 2012, West spoke at Republican events last August in New Hampshire.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com.
