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No longer patient, Bush backers fret about sluggish campaign

FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2015, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush waits on stage in Davenport, Iowa. For months, Bush’s campaign insisted it was too early. But with just over three months until primary voting gets underway in Iowa, and Bush still mired in the middle of the crowded GOP field, some supporters fear it could soon be too late. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2015, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush waits on stage in Davenport, Iowa. For months, Bush’s campaign insisted it was too early. But with just over three months until primary voting gets underway in Iowa, and Bush still mired in the middle of the crowded GOP field, some supporters fear it could soon be too late. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2015, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush waits on stage in Davenport, Iowa. For months, Bush’s campaign insisted it was too early. But with just over three months until primary voting gets underway in Iowa, and Bush still mired in the middle of the crowded GOP field, some supporters fear it could soon be too late. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

By Associated Press 5 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – For months, Jeb Bush’s campaign insisted it was too early.

Too early to worry about the Republican presidential candidate’s sluggish poll numbers. Too early to fret over the rise of unorthodox candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson. Too early to question if the one-time front-runner is merely a pedestrian candidate.

But with just over three months until primary voting gets underway in Iowa, and Bush still mired in the middle of the crowded GOP field, some supporters fear it could soon be too late.

“The moment is now,” said New Hampshire State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, reflecting the sense of urgency among nearly two dozen Bush supporters interviewed this past week by The Associated Press.

On Friday, Bush signaled to supporters he understood the need to make a change. Faced with slower-than-expected fundraising, the campaign announced sweeping spending cuts, including a 40 percent payroll reduction, that will deplete staff at its Miami headquarters and refocus resources in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada – the first four states to hold nominating contests.