About Jeb Bush

John "Jeb" Bush was elected governor of Florida in 1998; he is the son of former president George
Bush and the brother of president George W. Bush.

A Texas native, Jeb Bush moved to Florida in 1981 and joined the Codina Group, a real estate
development company. He became Secretary of Commerce under governor Bob Martinez in 1987 and
was the Republican nominee for governor in 1994, losing to incumbent Lawton Chiles. In 1998 he ran
again and won, becoming governor of Florida at the same time his brother George W. was governor of
Texas.

In the presidential elections of 2000 the race between George W. and Democrat Al Gore was so close
that the entire national election depended on the results of disputed vote counts in Florida. Jeb Bush
officially recused himself from decisions affecting the vote counts, though some Democrats charged
that he and his staff still attempted to swing the outcome in favor of his brother. (The case eventually
went to the U.S. Supreme Court, whose 5−4 decision decided the election in favor of George W.
Bush.)

Jeb Bush was re−elected in 2002, defeating Democrat Bill McBride (who had upset former Attorney
General Janet Reno in the Democratic primary elections). Bush did not run for re−election in 2006;
another Republican, Charlie Crist, was elected to succeed him.

He and his wife, Columba, have three children and reside in Florida.