Jeb Bush

John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953), age 73, is a businessman and a former governor of the State of Florida. He is the third child and second son of former President George H. W. Bush and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush. He is the younger brother of former President George W. Bush. Jeb Bush was the first Republican to win a second term as Florida’s governor, and he left office with a 60% approval rating.

Jeb Bush
43rd Governor of Florida From: January 5, 1999 – January 2, 2007
Predecessor	Buddy MacKay
Successor	Charlie Crist
Information
Party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Columba Bush
Religion	Roman Catholic

Early life and education

Bush was born in Midland, Texas where his father ran an oil drilling company. When he was six years old, the family relocated to Houston, Texas. He was a budding athlete, enjoying baseball and tennis. He went to a public elementary school, and later to a private school. When he was in eighth grade, George H. W. Bush won a seat in Congress and moved to Washington, DC. The Bush children stayed in Houston with another family to finish the school year, and spent most summers and holidays at the family estate, located at Kennebunkport, Maine. He then enrolled at Phillips Andover Academy in Massachusetts, already attended by his brother, George. Jeb Bush made the honor roll his first year.

Private sector

Jeb Bush and and his family moved to Florida in 1981, where he joined the Codina Group, a real estate development company.

Political career

Bush became Secretary of Commerce under Governor Bob Martinez in 1987 and was the Republican nominee for governor in 1994, losing to incumbent Lawton Chiles. In 1998 he ran again and won, becoming governor of Florida at the same time his brother George W. was governor of Texas. He was re-elected in 2002, defeating Democrat William McBride (who had upset former Attorney General Janet Reno in the Democratic primary election). Bush could not run for re-election to a third term in 2006, because of term limits; another Republican, Charlie Crist, was elected to succeed him. After eight years, Jeb Bush left office as one of the most popular and prominent governors in state history. While speculation and public support for a 2016 Presidential run still exists, it was significantly dampened when Barbara Bush stated in an April 2013 interview that she felt "We've had enough Bushes" and continuing "He's the most qualified, but I don't think he'll run."

Post-political career

Bush joined the board of directors of Tenet Healthcare, the biggest publicly-traded hospital company in the United States, in April 2007.

Personal life

Bush met his wife, Columba, while teaching English as part of a university exchange program in Leon, Guanajato, Mexico in 1971. Columba was born in Leon in 1954. The two were married on February 23, 1974, shortly after Bush graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Latin American Affairs. They have three children: George (known as George P., born 1976), Noelle (born 1977) and John (known as Jebby, born 1983). The couple currently resides in Coral Gables, Florida.

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