Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is calling for “new leadership that takes conservative principles and applies them so that people can rise up” as he enters the presidential race Monday.
“America’s best days are in front of us, and we are going to lead the world,” the Republican said in a video released ahead of his announcement in Miami.
The video released by Bush’s team included first person accounts of constituents talking about his time as governor of Florida.
“Governor Jeb Bush instituted the first voucher program in the United States to give low income kids an opportunity to go to a private school,” says Denisha Merriweather of Jacksonville. “Out of my immediate family, I am the first person to graduate from high school. And then I went on to graduate from college.”
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A favorite of the Republican establishment, Bush’s emphasis of the word “conservative” in the video comes as no surprise.
The former Florida governor, in recent months, has been trying to reassure the base of his conservative bonafides. Some conservatives have expressed skepticism about his brand of conservatism, particularly because of his views on immigration and Common Core.
Bush enters a crowded primary field, becoming the eleventh Republican to officially enter the race. Others, including Donald Trump, Bobby Jindal, John Kasich, Scott Walker and Chris Christie, are expected to announce their 2016 plans soon.
Bush leads his opponents in the Real Clear Politics national polling average of Republicans at 11.3 percent, followed by Scott Walker (10.8 percent), Marco Rubio (10.3 percent) and Ben Carson (9 percent).
As for the early primary and caucus states, the RCP average shows Bush in fifth place in Iowa and first place in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida.
On Sunday, Bush also reintroduced his trademark “Jeb!” campaign logo, dating back to this gubernatorial campaigns.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) June 14, 2015