Jeb Bush Goes to Bat for Rob Astorino Against Andrew Cuomo

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., continued his political activities on Thursday as buzz continues to build that he could run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Bush sent out a fundraising email for Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, the Republican and Conservative Party of New York State (CPNYS) candidate looking to upset Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., in November.

Bush played up Floridas economic strengths and contrasted them with the Empire State.

On the campaign trail, Rob Astorino has been asking New Yorkers a simple question: As a state, is New York winning or is New York losing? Bush wrote. When you compare New York to states like North Carolina, Texas and North Dakota -- or my home state of Florida -- how does New York measure up in the categories that matter?

The answer is not very well. Very poorly, in fact, Bush continued. New York ranks at the bottom of the pack in so many key areas: It has the highest property taxes in America and the highest overall taxes in the country. Its ranked as having the Worst Economic Outlook in America, and it ranks 47th in business climate. It should come as no surprise, then, that New York is also ranked the worst place in the nation to retire.

A strong governor can make a tremendous difference in turning a state around, Bush added. With pro-growth fiscal policies, a quality education system and lower taxes, there is no reason why New York cannot rebound as an economic powerhouse. We did it in Florida. You can do it in New York.

Bush praised Astorino for backing smarter, more efficient government and lower taxes, resulting in more than 30,000 new, well-paying private sector jobs for the area and pointed toward how Republican governors across the nation have led their states.

Republicans governors around America are transforming their states into pro-growth, job-friendly destinations to live, work and retire, Bush wrote. Those are the states that are winning. States that continue to tax, spend and overregulate -- like New York -- continue to lose jobs as their families struggle and economies stagnate.

New York has always been a winning state. But bad tax, fiscal and regulatory policies have weighed it down to the point where it can no longer compete against other states, Bush concluded. New Yorks comeback begins with Rob Astorinos election as the next governor of the Empire State.