FILE – In this Feb. 4, 2015 file photo, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush pauses while speaking at a Economic Club of Detroit in Detroit. Running for president as part of a family dynasty is presenting former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with inevitable comparisons he must address as he moves closer to a campaign for the White House. “I recognize that as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs,” Bush says, referring to his brother, former President George W. Bush and his father, former President George H. W. Bush, in excerpts released early of a midday speech he’s to give in Chicago Wednesday. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) NASHVILLE – Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is headlining the Tennessee Republican Party’s annual fundraiser in May.
Chairman Chris Devaney said Thursday that the Statesmen’s Dinner speech by the likely presidential candidate reflects that Tennessee will play a key role in the 2016 nomination process.
Devaney called Tennessee a “good place to test a message” for presidential candidates because it will be among the early states holding primaries in 2016.
Bush has been aggressively raising money as he weighs a presidential bid. His last visits to Nashville included an appearance at Vanderbilt University in October and an education discussion in March.
Republican U.S. Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee has been named the dinner chair for the May 30 event. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was the speaker last year.