Jeb Bush.

Jeb Bush was born John Ellis Bush on February 11, 1953 in Midland, Texas, into a political dynasty. His father, George H.W. Bush, later became the 41st President, and his older brother George W. Bush became the 43rd. Bush attended The Kinkaid School in Houston and later Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, then earned a degree from the University of Texas at Austin. His father’s political career shaped his early life; the family moved to Washington D.C. when his father served as a congressman and later vice president.

Bush won the Florida governorship in 1998, taking office in 1999. He served two terms until 2007, focusing on education reform, tax cuts, and environmental policies. In 2008, he appeared in the film W., directed by Oliver Stone, portraying himself in archive footage. He appeared in documentaries such as Fahrenheit 9/11 2004 and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power 2017. After leaving office, Bush pursued a presidential run in 2016, campaigning in early primary states and appearing in Courting Des Moines 2016. He made late-night talk show appearances, including on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Bush married Columba Garnica Gallo on February 23, 1974. The couple has three children: George P. Bush, Noelle Bush, and a third child not widely publicized. Columba, a native of Mexico, and Bush have maintained a life out of the political spotlight, though their son George P. Bush has pursued a political career in Texas. Bush’s siblings include former President George W. Bush, Neil Bush, Marvin Bush, and Dorothy Bush Koch. His parents, George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, both passed away in 2018.

As governor, Bush implemented Florida’s first statewide school voucher program and pushed for the elimination of affirmative action in university admissions, banning race as a factor in 1999. His education reforms, including the A+ Plan, influenced national policy. Bush received the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Governors or Statewide Elected Officials. Though he did not secure the 2016 Republican nomination, his campaign highlighted the evolution of the Bush family’s role in American politics. He is remembered as a key figure in the Republican establishment and a proponent of conservative education reform.