WASHINGTON — Former Florida governor Jeb Bush announced Tuesday the formation of a political action committee designed to lay the groundwork for a 2016 presidential campaign.
In a video posted in English and Spanish on Facebook, the Republican said that the Right to Rise PAC will allow him to ‘‘support candidates who believe in conservative principles to allow all Americans to rise up.’’ An aide confirmed that it also allows Bush to hire staff, conduct polling, and pay for travel as he courts key donors and Republican officials.
Bush telegraphed the formation of a PAC last month when he announced plans to actively explore a presidential bid. The announcement thrust Bush, the son and brother of former presidents, into the top tier of a crowded field of likely GOP presidential contenders.
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Tuesday’s move also represents an effort to play catch-up of sorts for Bush, who has been out of office since 2007. Several potential Republican presidential candidates, including Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Governor Rick Perry of Texas, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, formed similar PACs months or years ago.
Also Tuesday, Bush allies formed a so-called super PAC, which is allowed to raise and spend unlimited sums of money, under the name Right to Rise.