On the heels of the pre-Christmas announcement that he has formally established his exploratory committee for the purpose of seeking the presidency, Jeb Bush upped the ante in the first days of the new year.
Announced via an email to the Washington Post, Bush has resigned from all the various non-profit and corporate boards on which he sits in a move both to free up time which he can dedicate to running and to quiet any speculation about his allegiances.
According to Bush spokesman Kristy Campbell, “This is a natural next step that will allow him to focus his time on gauging interest for a potential run…part and parcel of a process he is going through as he transitions to focus on a potential run for president”
Many analysts expect a formal announcement by Bush for the presidency within the next 60 days given that the last two cycles have demonstrated a poor showing for candidates who wait until the summer prior to election year to jump in. What’s more, with the expectedly wide GOP field, an earlier debate schedule will likely press candidates to announce even earlier.
