John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician. He served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and is the younger brother of former President George W. Bush. Jeb Bush is the only Republican, and the third person of any party, to serve two full four-year terms as Governor of Florida.
<p>Bush grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and then attended the University of Texas, where he earned a degree in Latin American affairs. Following his father's successful run for Vice President in 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development. In 1986, Bush was named Florida's Secretary of Commerce, a position he held until resigning in 1988 to help his father's successful campaign for the Presidency.
</p><p>In 1994, Bush made his first run for office, narrowly losing the election for governor by less than two percentage points to the incumbent Lawton Chiles. Bush ran again in 1998 and beat Lieutenant Governor Buddy MacKay with 55 percent of the vote. He ran for reelection in 2002 and won with 56 percent to become Florida's first two-term Republican Governor. During his eight years as governor, Bush was credited with initiating improvements in the environment, as well as reforming the education system.
</p><p>Bush has frequently been mentioned by the media as a possible candidate for president in 2016. On December 16, 2014, Bush announced he would explore the possibility of running for President.
</p><p>Welcome to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference
</p><p>May 21-23 promises to be a rendezvous with destiny in Oklahoma City.  The unofficial start of the 2016 Republican Presidential campaign begins here, in the new energy capital of America!
</p><p>The 2016 election will be one of the most important in our lifetime. The choices we make in the next two years will define America for the next 50 years.
</p><p>On behalf of the Oklahoma Republican Party and the entire SRLC Committee, please join us as we begin our shared Republican journey towards capturing the White House and renewing our nation.
</p><p>It is our distinct privilege to invite you to attend the 2015 Southern Republican Leadership Conference, to be held at the Cox Convention Center and Downtown Oklahoma City Renaissance Convention Center Hotel on May 21-23, 2015. We hope you will join us!
</p><p>The SRLC has a star-studded history as one of the premier conferences for all Republicans and conservative activists. This year we anticipate 50 speakers, break-out sessions with energy, utility and manufacturing opinion leaders, and 75 partnering organizations. In addition, we are hosting the largest regional presidential straw poll of the year.
</p><p>We look forward to your participation in this historic conference as we energize the Grand Old Party and America together!
</p>
SRLC 2015 Committee
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MichaelVadon" title="User:MichaelVadon">Michael Vadon</a>
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>