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What a person drives tells us a lot about them. This information is even more true when applied to politicians. We can learn about their true feelings on the environment, waste and safety, among other things.

Since it is often difficult to get any real truth out of political candidates these days, we decided to investigate their personal vehicle choices to ascertain critical data needed before going to polls in November and beyond. Of course, we sincerely hope that at least all of the candidates have taken an approved defensive driving course. Road safety is an important part of being a responsible citizen.

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Now, we do not expect anyone out there to change their vote based on this research alone. However, use it as part of a broad-based decision about the candidates.

Without further ado, here is what the major presidential candidates, both current and former, drive on a regular basis. Some will shock you, others are as expected.

Hillary Clinton

As both the former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has lots of security forces protecting her. Obviously she needs a large vehicle to transport this entourage wherever she goes. So, it is with little wonder that Clinton has a large Dodge Conversion Van.

This vehicle has a large top and extended rear that reminds us of vans from the 1970s. In fact, the Washington press corps refers to the Clinton transport as the “Scooby Van.”

Hillary has a spotless driving record, largely because she has not actually been behind the wheel since 1996! We do know that in law school, Clinton had a 1963 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The car cost a mere $120 and proved to be a lemon. On cold nights Clinton had to remove the battery and keep it warm in her dorm room. Otherwise, the car would not run the next day.

Bernie Sanders

This democratic-socialist out of Vermont enjoys a reputation for being green. Some of his most ardent supporters are those on the left of the political spectrum who embrace environmental awareness. One would expect Sanders to drive around in a nice, eco-friendly, gas efficient vehicle. Perhaps even an electric car.

Well, you might be disappointed to learn that “the Bern” has a luxury Lincoln Town Car SUV. There is no way he can claim this car is green, with its dismal 20 miles per gallon on a good day. “Say it ain’t so, Bernie!”

Now, to be fair, Bernie did drive around in a electric hybrid years ago. Seems he has a more lavish lifestyle these days.

Donald Trump

The Donald is a man of his word when it comes to car choice. He says he is rich and proves it. Trump has all of the top brands, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, McLaren, etc. The list goes on and on…

Trump plans to make America great again. Well, he should start with the car industry because based on his garage, Trump prefers foreign automakers. Ouch!

Jeb Bush

Jeb did not get very far in the Republican campaign. Perhaps that has something to do with his car choice. Though Americans often claim they want more down-to-earth candidates, when they had one in Jeb, the people tossed him to the side.

This Bush takes Uber when possible and drives his own eco-friendly Ford Fusion hybrid. His wife Columba has a tiny Mini Cooper. Now that is as real as it gets.

How Did Your Favorite Presidential Candidate Do?

So, did your favorite current or past candidate live up to expectations? Probably not. But, nobody is perfect. That is why we recommend everyone, even the presidential candidates, take an online defensive driving course to brush up on those road skills.

There a lot of Republican defections in the wake of recent controversy surrounding Donald Trump.

Some of them plan to vote for Hillary Clinton while others refuse to vote for the Republican candidate.Donald Trump San Diego rally

Lezlee Westine, a former aide to President George W. Bush, announced her support for Hillary Clinton in a statement to the Washington Post on Monday.

Wadi Gaitan, a prominent Latino official and chief spokesman for the GOP in Florida, announced he would leave the party over Donald Trump’s candidacy.

However, George P. Bush broke with his father – Jeb Bush – to lend his support to Donald Trump on August 7, the Texas Tribune reported.

George P. Bush urged party members to unite behind his father’s former Republican primary rival.

Other Republicans not voting for Donald Trump are:

  • Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, 2012 Republican presidential nominee
  • Barbara Bush, former first lady
  • Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, 2016 presidential candidate
  • Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator, 2016 presidential candidate
  • Larry Hogan, Maryland governor
  • William Cohen, former secretary of defense
  • Jeff Flake, Arizona senator
  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida congresswoman
  • Ben Sasse, Nebraska senator
  • John Kasich, Ohio governor, 2016 presidential candidate
  • Mark Kirk, Illinois senator

Jeb Bush has said he will not vote for his former rival Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.

The former Florida governor joins several high-profile Republicans who have refused to support Donald Trump’s campaign.

On May 5, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he “was not ready” to support Donald Trump, but will meet him next week.

Breaking with tradition, Jeb Bush’s father and brother – both former presidents – also withheld support.

Some Republicans have said they would back Democrat Hillary Clinton but Jeb Bush ruled that out.Jeb Bush Hispanic

He said: “Donald Trump has not demonstrated that temperament or strength of character.

“And, he is not a consistent conservative. These are all reasons why I cannot support his candidacy.”

Jeb Bush had previously pledged to support the eventually Republican nominee while he was still a candidate for president.

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina also announced on May 6 that he would not vote for Donald Trump.

He told CNN: “I think Donald Trump is going to places where very few people have gone and I’m not going with him.”

Donald Trump swiftly responded to Lindsay Graham who also was a Republican candidate for president: “While I will unify the party, Lindsey Graham has shown himself to be beyond rehabilitation. And like the voters who rejected him, so will I.”

Many Republican candidates for lower offices are concerned about running on the same ballot as Donald Trump, who has alienated minority voters through his rhetoric about building a wall with Mexico and banning US entry to Muslim travelers.

Many Americans choose to vote for either the Democrat or Republican Party, rather than weighing the individual candidates.

Republican representatives fear that voters who oppose Donald Trump may eschew the Republican Party all together.

Some Republicans have begun to openly call for the party to oppose the presumptive nominee and to work to independently elect a conservative candidate, such as Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, who has indicated that he will not be supporting Donald Trump.

Jeb Bush has decided to endors Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president, calling him a “principled conservative”.

The former governor of Florida dropped out of the Republican race last month after poor showings in state contests.

Jeb Bush said Ted Cruz has shown the ability to appeal to voters and win primary contests, like in Utah on March 22.

Republicans must “overcome the divisiveness and vulgarity” Donald Trump has introduced, he said.

If not, the GOP will certainly lose the White House to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush wrote in a Facebook post.

“Republicans can win back the White House and put our nation on a path to security and prosperity if we support a nominee who can unite our party and articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential,” Jeb Bush wrote, and linked to Ted Cruz’s website.

Ted Cruz, speaking to CNN on March 23, said Jeb Bush’s endorsement proved his candidacy had garnered support among Republicans.

Former 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also recently endorsed Ted Cruz, strongly urging fellow Republicans not to back Donald Trump.Jeb Bush endorses Ted Cruz

Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, currently has the highest delegate count and has said there may be “riots” if he is denied the Republican nomination come the party’s convention this summer.

Anti-Trump Republicans are hoping for a brokered convention, in which party officials, not delegates, would chose the nominee, but that is only possible if Donald Trump falls short of the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

After contests in Utah and Arizona on March 22, Donald Trump has 739 delegates and Ted Cruz has 465.

In 2012, Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president, but now the former Republican candidate calls Trump a “phony” and a “fraud”.

When Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was still in the race, Donald Trump called him “pathological”. Now Ben Carson has endorsed him.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who attacked Donald Trump on the campaign trail, backs the billionaire now that he is out of the race.

Former Republican presidential candidates Carly Fiorina and Lindsey Graham have also endorsed Ted Cruz.

Ted Cruz has urged Ohio Governor John Kasich to drop out of the race, and said he would probably find a place for him in his administration.

He said John Kasich was a “spoiler” by taking votes that could go to him and help the Republicans defeat Donald Trump.

The nasty battle between the leading Republicans worsened this week when Donald Trump warned Ted Cruz he would “spills the beans on your wife” after an anti-Trump group ran ads in Utah featuring a photo of Trump’s wife Melania from an old GQ magazine spread.

Ted Cruz said in response: “Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you’re more of a coward than I thought.”

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has won the South Carolina primary, cementing his status as the man to beat for GOP’s nomination.

In the Democratic contest, Hillary Clinton beat Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in a tight race in Nevada.

Both results will be key ahead of the “Super Tuesday” round on March 1, when a dozen more states make their choice.

Donald Trump’s victory claimed a major scalp when former Florida Governor Jeb Bush dropped out of the race.

Jeb Bush finished a distant fourth, days after his brother, former President George W. Bush, made a rare political appearance to boost his flagging campaign.

Republican senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were locked in a battle for second place in the state.

Photo Getty Images

Photo Getty Images

“There’s nothing easy about running for president,” Donald Trump said at his victory rally in Spartanburg on Saturday evening.

“It’s tough, it’s nasty, it’s mean, it’s vicious. It’s beautiful – when you win it’s beautiful.”

Donald Trump’s supporters erupted at his campaign headquarters when the projected results were announced.

His campaign has been dogged in controversy, with his latest spat with Pope Francis on Christian values hitting the headlines this week.

Thousands of miles west, Hillary Clinton narrowly beat Bernie Sanders, who had beaten her convincingly in New Hampshire in their last contest.

“Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other,” Hillary Clinton told supporters at a victory rally in Las Vegas.

“This is your campaign.”

The battle between them has grown increasingly close in recent weeks, with Hillary Clinton expected to win Nevada in double digits just weeks ago.

However, Ted Cruz, who has successfully galvanized young voters with his calls for free university education, appears to have performed better than expected among Hispanics in Nevada.

According to NBC exit polls, Bernie Sanders won among Hispanics with 53% of the vote but lost among black voters earning just 22% of their vote.

Hillary Clinton’s next test will be in the Democrats’ South Carolina primary on February 27. Republicans will hold their own caucuses in Nevada on February 23.

Once each state has voted in the primaries or caucuses, the delegates won by each party candidate will go on to endorse them at party conventions in July.

Republican presidential hopefuls traded sharp blows over foreign policy and the future of the Supreme Court in an often unruly and chaotic debate on CBS News.

After Iowa and New Hampshire, the race has now moved to South Carolina before the February 20 primary.

Front-runner Donald Trump repeatedly tangled with Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush in a series of tense exchanges.

The lively audience repeatedly jeered and booed the candidates.

As the candidates shouted down and interrupted each other, CBS moderator John Dickerson warned: “We’re in danger of driving this into the dirt.”

Donald Trump and Jeb Bush clashed over the war in Iraq and President George W. Bush’s role during the September 11attacks.

Photo Getty Images

Photo Getty Images

Jeb Bush responded robustly to Donald Trump’s attacks, a departure for the former governor who originally sought a “joyful” campaign.

“We should have never been in Iraq,” Donald Trump said.

“They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none and they knew that there were none.”

Jeb Bush pushed back, defending his brother who will soon join him on the campaign trail before the pivotal South Carolina primary.

“I’m sick and tired of Barack Obama blaming my brother for all the problems that he’s had and frankly I could care less about the insults Donald Trump gives against me,” Jeb Bush said.

Justice Antonin Scalia’s death was addressed early on in the debate most of the six candidates saying the next president should choose his replacement.

Ted Cruz said “we are one justice away” from the court reversing conservative legal gains.

Donald Trump said President Barack Obama would probably pick a replacement, but stressed that Republicans in the Senate should block him.

“Delay, delay, delay,” Donald Trump said.

Later, Ted Cruz contended that Donald Trump, who has supported Democrats in the past, would nominate liberal Supreme Court justices if elected president.

“You are the single biggest liar,” Donald Trump said to Ted Cruz.

“This guy will say anything.”

The next primary and caucus is in South Carolina next week. Other states will have their turn over the coming weeks and months.

Each party formally announces their presidential candidate at conventions in July, four months before the presidential election.

Donald Trump’s plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants from the US has been attacked by his party rivals in the fourth Republican debate on Fox Business.

The Republican frontrunner’s hard-line proposal was attacked as impractical and divisive by John Kasich and Jeb Bush, who are also running for the Republican presidential nomination.

Donald Trump, a billionaire New Yorker who has been leading in the polls, was booed as he tried to counter-attack.

Another source of friction at the debate in Milwaukee was foreign policy.

The eight candidates were divided on whether the US should do more to intervene in the Middle East, especially in the fight against ISIS.

Photo Fox Business

Photo Fox Business

However, immigration sparked the biggest confrontation, when Donald Trump said a wall should be built at the US-Mexico border and all migrants living illegally in the US must be deported.

This was met with disdain by John Kasich, the governor of Ohio.

“Come on, folks, we all know you can’t pick them up and ship them back across the border. It’s a silly argument. It’s not an adult argument.”

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush said it would tear families apart and played into the hands of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

The fourth Republican debate, hosted by Fox Business, began by talking about raising the minimum wage, which several candidates opposed.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio said vocational education was instead a better way to unlock American potential.

“Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers.”

At one point, Marco Rubio and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul tangled over the issue of military spending, with Rand Paul saying his rival’s plan to increase military spending went against conservative principles.

“We can’t even have an economy if we’re not safe,” responded Marco Rubio.

The primary elections begin in February in Iowa.

Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush has apologized to France for referencing their working week to insult rival Marco Rubio.

Jeb Bush said he had done a “disservice to the French” by using them to mock Marco Rubio’s senate voting record.

“I made the mistake of saying that the Congress operates on a French work week,” he was reported as saying.

Jeb Bush said he had since learned that the French work longer hours than the Germans do.Jeb Bush French work week

“So, my God, I totally insulted an entire country – our first ally – that helped us become free as a nation!” Jeb Bush said, according to Time magazine.

The former Florida governor made the original comments during a Republican presidential debate last week.

Jeb Bush asked Marco Rubio whether the Senate ran on French time and if lawmakers only had to show up for three days weekly.

His campaign spokesman Tim Miller said he had been inundated with emails from French journalists following the debate.

Even Gerard Araud, the French ambassador, responded on Twitter to correct Jeb Bush.

The French officially work a 35-hour week though many employees put in far longer hours.

Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are trailing behind Donald Trump and Ben Carson in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Donald Trump has dominated a second Republican debate between the top GOP presidential candidates in the 2016 election.

The front-runner has come under attack from all sides in a debate with an outsider candidate – former tech executive Carly Fiorina – challenging Donald Trump in a way few rivals have.

Donald Trump, a billionaire businessman with no political experience, refused to apologize over comments about the wife of Jeb Bush.

And he was on the receiving end when Carly Fiorina drew huge applause facing up to his recent jibe over her looks.

Fifteen Republicans are vying to be the party’s White House nominee in 2016.

With more than a year until polling day, the second Republican debate in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California saw Jeb Bush and Donald Trump trading blows several times.Donald Trump second Republican debate 2015

Their most notable clash in the debate, hosted by CNN, came when former Florida Governor Jeb Bush demanded that the tycoon apologize to his wife for saying he was weak on immigration because she is Mexican. Donald Trump refused.

But the loudest audience response of the night came when Carly Fiorina was asked about an interview in which Donald Trump said she could not be president because: “Look at that face.”

Carly replied, to thunderous applause: “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”

Moderator Jake Tapper gives Carly Fiorina the chance to respond to Donald Trump’s comments about her in Rolling Stone magazine in which he said: “Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that. Can you imagine that as the face of our next president?”

Donald Trump later said he was talking about her persona, not her appearance.

If Donald Trump predictably took plenty of punches, as the candidate who has held a commanding lead for much of the campaign, he gave as good he got throughout the debate in his trademark style.

Donald Trump returned fire on Kentucky Senator Rand Paul with an oblique personal insult about his appearance, mocked the fiscal record of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and introduced himself with the words: “I say, not in a braggadocios way, I’ve made billions and billions of dollars.”

A second-tier debate for the four other Republican candidates happened on the same stage earlier.

In a combative atmosphere, the four were split over the case of Kim Davis, a Kentucky clerk jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples due to her Christian faith.

The Democratic Party will hold its first debate in Nevada in October, also hosted by CNN.

By next summer, each party will have a presidential nominee who will do battle in the race for the White House.

Votes will finally be cast in November 2016.

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Stephen Colbert has made his debut as CBS’ Late Show host, succeeding David Letterman who retired in May after 33 years.

George Clooney and Republican White House contender Jeb Bush were among Stephen Colbert’s first guests.

The former Colbert Report host opened the show with a sketch, singing the national anthem around the country.

Stephen Colbert also paid tribute to his predecessor David Letterman, calling himself “a fan”.Stephen Colbert Late Show debut 2015

“We will try to honor his achievement by doing the best show we can and occasionally making the network very mad at us,” he said.

“As long as I have nine months to make one hour of TV, I could do this forever,” Stephen Colbert added.

The comedian played a hardline conservative in his previous show, Comedy Central’s satirical news show The Colbert Report, but he appeared as himself for his mainstream debut.

Stephen Colbert presented his first guest George Clooney with a belated wedding gift for his marriage last year to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin – a Tiffany paperweight inscribed with the phrase: “I don’t know you.”

He also binged on a bag of Oreo cookies as he made jokes about Donald Trump, who recently vowed never to eat Oreos again after makers Nabisco Inc said it was opening a new plant in Mexico.

Fellow late-night TV figures also wished him well – including NBC rival Jimmy Fallon who said: “Have a good show, buddy. See you in the locker room.”

The broadcast ended with Stephen Colbert singing with his new house band, led by Jon Batiste, in a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s Everyday People.

They were joined by Mavis Staples, Aloe Blacc, Ben Folds and Buddy Guy, amongst others.

Hilary Clinton has hit back at her Republican rival Jeb Bush over who is responsible for instability in Iraq and the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS).

On August 11, Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush accused the Obama administration of a “premature withdrawal” of US forces from Iraq in 2011, with “grievous” costs.

Hillary Clinton replied by saying it was Jeb Bush’s brother, George W. Bush, who, as president, negotiated a US withdrawal.

The US-led war in 2003 has been followed by years of turmoil.

Photo AP

Photo AP

Jeb Bush called the withdrawal of US forces in 2011 a “fatal error”, destabilizing the nation and setting the stage for the rise of the Islamic State.

“So eager to be the history-makers, they failed to be the peacemakers,” Jeb Bush said of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who was Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

“Rushing away from danger can be every bit as unwise as rushing into danger,” he told a rally in California.

On the campaign trail in Iowa on August 15, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton responded by saying Jeb Bush “should present the entire picture. [That]… includes the agreement George W. Bush made with the Maliki government in Iraq that set the end of 2011 as the date to withdraw American troops”.

“I can only wonder whether he either did not know that or thought that other people would not be reminded of that,” Hillary Clinton went on.

Earlier in the campaign Jeb Bush was ridiculed for struggling to say whether he would have approved the Iraq invasion “knowing what we know now”.

At first, he said he would, then he said he wouldn’t engage in “hypotheticals” and finally he announced he would not have.

Hillary Clinton herself voted in favor of the invasion in Iraq in 2002, and has since both defended the decision and acknowledged she “got it wrong”.

Nine people have been killed in a shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in the US state of South Carolina, officials say.

City police chief Gregory Mullen said eight of the victims were killed inside the historic African-American church on Wednesday evening, while another person died shortly afterwards.

Police are now searching for a white male suspect in his 20s.

“I do believe it was a hate crime,” Gregory Mullen said.

The church’s pastor, state Senator Clementa Pinckney, was among those killed, civil rights activist the Rev Al Sharpton tweeted.

A prayer meeting was going on at the time of the shooting at about 21:00 local time on June 17 at the church on Calhoun Street.Charleston Emanuel AME Church shooting 2015

Charleston police tweeted: “Suspect in shooting on Calhoun St is a w/m approx 21 slender small build wearing a grey sweat shirt blue jeans timberland boots clean shaven.”

Speaking at a news briefing later, Gregory Mullen said: “There were eight deceased individuals inside of the church. Two individuals were transported to [the hospital]. One of them has died.

“At this point, we have nine victims in this hideous crime that has been committed.

“It is unfathomable that somebody in today’s society would walk into a church when people are having a prayer meeting and take their lives.”

A woman who survived the shooting told her family the gunman said he was letting her live so she could report what happened, the Charleston Post and Courier reported.

She said the gunman had sat in the church before standing and opening fire, according to an official from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley described the shooting as “the most unspeakable” tragedy.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott tweeted: “My heart is breaking for Charleston and South Carolina tonight.”

Jeb Bush’s campaign cancelled an event planned in Charleston for June 18 due to the shooting.

“Governor Bush’s thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families affected by this tragedy,” Jeb Bush’s team said in a statement.

Helicopters were seen hovering above the area and a police chaplain was at the scene.

At one point police asked residents to move away because of reports of a bomb – but police later gave the all-clear.

A group of worshippers was seen praying near the church.

The attack comes two months after unarmed black man Walter Scott was shot and killed by a white police officer in North Charleston.

The shooting prompted angry protests and highlighted racial tension in the city. The officer has since been charged with murder.

Charleston was also due to hold a ceremony on June 18 marking the eighth anniversary of another tragedy – the death of nine firefighters in a blaze at a furniture store in 2007.

Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush has edited 275,000 emails he released after it emerged they contained correspondents’ personal information.

Social security numbers, email addresses and phone numbers were all included in plain text in the files.

Jeb Bush released 275,000 emails from his eight years as Florida’s governor, in the interests of transparency.

Earlier this week, his technology chief, Ethan Czahor, resigned over “inappropriate comments” he had made.

In one email, sent in 2004, the name, social security number and other details belonging to the mother of a sick child appeared. The information had been in a note written by a healthcare representative, the Verge reported.Jeb Bush emails personal information

Other emails also contained social security numbers and other personal information.

The cache, which had been posted on February 10, included hundreds of thousands of emails from 1999 to 2007.

Jeb Bush’s campaign team moved to redact as much of the information as possible after the leaks came to light.

As of February 11, a message posted on the website hosting the emails said: “This page previously included raw PST data files provided by the Florida Department of State. We were informed that some personal information was available in the raw data so we removed these files.

“Please contact the Florida Department of State with any questions or public records request. You may still read these emails on the email calendar link, where we have redacted personal information we have been able to locate.”

The news came after Ethan Czahor resigned over comments made by him on Twitter and attributed to him on another website.

Ethan Czahor, who was hired to Jeb Bush’s Right to Rise political action committee in January 2015, had posted messages on his personal Twitter account in which he referred to women as “sluts” and made remarks about gay men.

He also made racially offensive comments on the other website.

Jeb Bush’s spokeswoman Kristy Campbell noted that Ethan Czahor had apologized for “regrettable and insensitive comments” that did not reflect the views of Jeb Bush or his organization. But she added that it was “appropriate for him to step aside”.

Ethan Czahor apologized after the Twitter comments emerged, but did not resign until the publication of those found on his website by the Huffington Post.

He tweeted that he hoped his “recent news won’t dissuade future techies from entering politics, regardless of political affiliations/backgrounds”.

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George W. Bush’s brother, Jeb Bush, has announced he himself is looking into running for the White House in 2016.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will “actively explore the possibility of running for President” as he wrote on Facebook on December 16.

He will also create a political action committee to “facilitate conversations with citizens across America”.

Jeb Bush has pro-immigration views, an issue likely to top the 2016 campaign.

But his views on this subject and on education have enraged some conservative Republicans.

Jeb Bush is not the only familiar name circling the upcoming election.Jeb Bush 2016

Former First Lady and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is currently the frontrunner for the 2016 Democratic ticket.

The announcement marks the first major Republican candidate to make a formal move toward announcing candidacy for the 2016 presidential nomination.

“In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America,” Jeb Bush wrote on Facebook.

His committee, named Leadership PAC, will help “support leaders, ideas and policies that will expand opportunity and prosperity for all Americans”.

He is not expected to announce his decision until next year “after gauging support”, Kristy Campbell, a spokeswoman for Jeb Bush, told the Associated Press news agency.

“This is a natural next step and represents a new phase of his consideration process,” she added.

Jeb Bush’s Facebook statement is the strongest yet to indicate he plans to attempt to become the third member of his family – after his father, George H.W. Bush, and brother, George W. Bush – to become the president of the US.

During two terms as governor of Florida, he overhauled the state’s education system and pushed for substantial tax cuts.

In a recent televised interview, Jeb Bush claimed he “would be a good president” and promised to release a cache of emails from his time as governor.

Other names in the frame for the Republican nomination include Senators Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Governor Chris Christie.