SWEETWATER, Fla. (AP) – Jeb Bush has returned to his South Florida political roots with a $25-a-person fundraiser for his political action committee, a contrast with recent high-roller events.
The Republican former Florida governor appeared at the Right to Rise PAC event in a local community center wearing a white Cuban-style guayabera shirt and frequently shifting from English to Spanish. About 450 people attended.
Bush has not yet officially declared his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination but has been raising money for the PAC. A recent event at a swank Miami Beach hotel was closed to the press and open mainly to wealthy donors.
In his speech, Bush discussed familiar conservative themes such as lower taxes and U.S. world leadership, noting that voters want political parties to cooperate in tackling issues.