Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush wants some New York love. The Florida GOPer plans to swing by New York Thursday and address members of the Manhattan Republican Club. Bush will give remarks at the Metropolitan Republican clubhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was in Manhattan on Monday and spoke to high dollar Republican donors at the Union League Club — including billionaire businessman David Koch, who spoke highly of Walker.
Bush is looking to gain the support of both Charles and David Koch, wealthy businessmen brothers who often back Republican candidates. The Koch brothers have put their financial support behind Walker during his gubernatorial campaigns. Walker is now vying for their support for his likely presidential run.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, all declared Republican presidential candidates debated one another and Walker at the Koch network’s winter seminar back in January. Those senators and Bush will be invited back to the brothers’ summer conference, Politico reports. Other declared candidates will likely get invites at that time.
In the meantime, Bush enters the Big Apple with a prize under his belt — a former Chris Christie ally. The Washington Post reports New Jersey state Sen. Joseph M. Kyrillos, who chaired Christie’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign and navigated his agenda through New Jersey’s Democratic-controlled legislature, defected to Bush’s team.
Tim Miller, a Bush spokesman, told the Post that Kyrillos’s support included a $10,000 donation made in March to Bush’s political-action committee.
In February, Kyrillos said in an interview with the Post that he was “obviously intrigued” by Bush, and that “time will tell how things evolve.”