Jeb Bush to explore possibility of US presidential campaign

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will "actively explore" a potential presidential campaign for 2016, he announced on Tuesday. The announcement, in a Facebook post, makes Bush the first major likely Republican candidate to formally move toward a presidential bid. The son of former President George HW Bush and the brother of former President George W Bush, Jeb Bush served as Florida's governor between 1999 and 2007.

"In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America," Bush wrote, adding that he will formally establish a political committee in January. Bush has frequently been mentioned as a possible presidential contender since his brother was preparing to leave office in 2009, but he has never run for the White House. But Bush's recent actions have indicated greater interest in pursuing the presidency. He said that in January he will release an electronic book and a trove of emails from his time in the Florida governor's mansion. On Monday, he spoke at a graduation ceremony at the University of South Carolina, his first high-profile public appearance in an influential early-voting state this year.