Jeb Bush Fast Facts

CNN Editorial Research

Here’s a look at the life of Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida.

Personal

Birth date: February 11, 1953

Birth place: Midland, Texas

Birth name: John Ellis Bush

Father: George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States

Mother: Barbara (Pierce) Bush

Marriage: Columba (Garnica Gallo) Bush (February 23, 1974-present)

Children: John Ellis “Jeb” Jr., 1983; Noelle Lucilla, 1977; George Prescott, 1976

Education: University of Texas, B.A. in Latin American Studies, 1974

Religion: Catholic (converted – was Episcopalian)

Other Facts

Second-oldest son of former President George H.W. Bush and younger brother of former President George W. Bush.

Speaks fluent Spanish.

Known for his Florida education reform: introducing a school voucher program, supporting charter schools, implementing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), and banning using race as a factor in university admissions.

Timeline

1980 – Moves to Florida and begins working in real estate development.

1987-1988 – Florida Commerce Secretary.

1988 – Resigns as commerce secretary to help his father with his presidential campaign.

1989-1993 – Father George H.W. Bush serves as the 41st president.

1994 – Loses the gubernatorial race to Governor Lawton Chiles (D-FL).

1995 – Founds the Foundation for Florida’s Future.

January 5, 1999-January 2, 2007 – Republican Governor of Florida.

2001-2009 – Older brother George W. Bush serves as the 43rd president.

November 5, 2002 – With 56% of the vote, becomes the first Republican governor to win reelection in Florida.

2007 – Forms Jeb Bush & Associates, a consulting firm.

2008 – Launches the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), based in Tallahassee, Florida. Bush is announced as chairman and president of the board in May 2016.

March 2013 – Bush’s book “Immigration Wars,” written with Clint Bolick, is published.

December 14, 2014 – During an interview, Bush says that he will release 250,000 emails from his two terms in office as Florida governor and will publish an eBook outlining his governing philosophy.

December 16, 2014 – In a Facebook post, Bush states, “I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for President of the United States.”

January 1, 2015 – An aide confirms to CNN that Bush has resigned from all of his corporate and nonprofit board memberships, including forestry company Rayonier Inc., the board at Tenet Healthcare Corporation, and the board of British bank Barclays.

January 6, 2015 – Bush launches a new political action committee that allows him to lay the groundwork for a presidential run.

March 11, 2015 – Bush announces he is selling his ownership stakes in his remaining business interests: Jeb Bush and Associates, and Britton Hill.

June 15, 2015 – Bush formally kicks off his presidential campaign with an announcement during an appearance at Miami Dade College.

June 30, 2015 – Releases 33 years of tax returns.

February 20, 2016 – Following a disappointing finish in the South Carolina primary, Bush suspends his presidential campaign.

March 23, 2016 – Endorses Ted Cruz for the Republican presidential nomination.

September 2018 – Bush is named a Presidential Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania for the 2018-2019 school year.

March 11, 2019 – The nonprofit Campaign Legal Center posts a settlement agreement online showing the FEC fined the Jeb Bush super PAC Right to Rise $390,000 for soliciting a contribution from a foreign national and the American Pacific International Capital $550,000 for making the contribution.

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