Jeb Bush is keeping his name near the top of the list when it comes to potential 2016 presidential contenders.
The former Florida governor reiterated to 200 people at a fundraiser in New York on Wednesday that he is “thinking of running for president,” according CNBC’s Larry Kudlow, who was in the room. Bush said he will make a decision by the end of the year.
It has been no secret that Bush is considering a presidential bid. During an event earlier this month commemorating the legacy of his father, former President George H.W. Bush, he acknowledged he is thinking about a run, but added that his support for immigration reform and Common Core run counter to many in his own party.
Both the issues were targets at the April 12 New Hampshire Freedom summit, where potential 2016 Republican candidates Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Mike Huckabee spoke. The crowd booed when Donald Trump referenced Bush’s remark that those who enter the United States illegally do so out of an “act of love.” And Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., delivered perhaps the biggest applause line of the conference, when she said: “We need to replace Common Core with some common sense!”
But the crowd at the Catholic Charities fundraiser on Wednesday received Bush enthusiastically and urged him to not let his support for the lightning rod issues to dissuade him.
Bush said reiterated that Republicans need to be “an inclusive party” and that they cannot back down from tough issues, attendees of the event told Politico.