Former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., is turning his focus to New Hampshire, home of the first presidential primary, where Granite State Republicans have often turned against his family.
On Thursday, Bushs Right to Rise PAC announced the former Florida governor will head up to the Granite State from March 13-14 as he continues exploring running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Bush announced back in December that he was exploring a presidential bid.
Also on Thursday, Right to Rise brought Rich Killion, a longtime New Hampshire Republican strategist, on board in a senior adviser role. In recent election cycles, Killion helped former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., in the 2008 election cycle and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys 2012 efforts.
Killion led Bruce Keough's gubernatorial campaign back in 2002 and served as executive director of N.H. Citizens for A Sound Economy. Killion also was the director of the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication and led the Franklin Pierce College Polling Institute in the Granite State. During another stint at Franklin Pierce, Killion led that colleges first multimillion-dollar capital campaign.
The Bush family has faced mixed results in New Hampshire primaries over the years. Claiming a big mo after winning the Iowa caucus in 1980, George H.W. Bush came crashing down in New Hampshire after the infamous Nashua Telegraph debate when Ronald Reagans I paid for this microphone line became established in political lore.
After placing third in Iowa in 1988, George Bush was in trouble against then-U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., in New Hampshire. But with the help of Gov. John Sununu, R-N.H., and Dole refusing to sign a pledge promising to oppose tax increases, Bush bounced back and went on to win the Republican nomination and the presidency.
But 1992 was a different story. Conservative commentator Pat Buchanan came up short against Bush but did well enough in the primary to embarrass the president while 10 percent of New Hampshire Republicans voted for Democrats like then-Gov. Bill Clinton, R-Ark., and former U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas, D-Mass., who won the Democratic primary that year.
Despite winning Iowa in 2000, then-Gov. George W. Bush, R-Texas, stumbled in New Hampshire, losing to U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
