The following candidates for the 2016 presidential election are expected to withdraw and endorse Jeb Bush, and here are the dates of the expected endorsement and the reasons. In addition, as explained further below, prior nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney will also probably endorse Jeb Bush.
| Candidate | Expected Date of Endorsement | Reason | Comments about Bush |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Christie | January 2016; will probably campaign for Jeb for the Iowa caucuses on the theme of national security | Hopes to become Bush's Attorney General | Heaps praise on the Bush family; Jeb's brother appointed Christie as U.S. Attorney, which enabled Christie to become Governor later |
| Marco Rubio | Before the Florida primary on March, so that Jeb can win big in it | Hopes to become Bush's V.P.[1] | Says Jeb is a great friend of his |
| Scott Walker | After he finishes poorly in the Iowa caucuses, or perhaps even sooner based on polling Update: Walker did exit "even sooner based polling," as predicted. |
Hopes for any Cabinet position in Bush's Administration | Walker criticized the front-runner maverick, and told other candidates to pull out also (which would help Jeb)! |
| Lindsey Graham | Will time his departure from the race to boost Jeb for the South Carolina primary | Hopes to become Bush's Secretary of Defense | Graham's entire candidacy is designed to prevent voters in the South Carolina from delivering a big victory to a conservative |
| John Kasich | After the Ohio primary on March 15 | Hopes for any Cabinet position in Bush's Administration | |
| George Pataki | Fall 2015 | Hopes for any Cabinet position in Bush's Administration | |
| Bobby Jindal | January 2016 | Hopes for any Cabinet position in Bush's Administration | |
| Carly Fiorina | After New Hampshire primary | Wouldn't mind being Bush's V.P., or Secretary of Treasury | |
| Donald Trump | February 2016 | Hopes to become Bush's Secretary of Treasury | Trump wants to avoid becoming a "loser", and at least one expert speculates that he will pull out in order to avert political defeat. He has criticized Jeb Bush but Trump's ego is so large that he thinks Bush will beg Trump to be in the Cabinet anyway |
Additional Expected Endorsements
| Politician | Expected Date of Endorsement | Reason | Comments about Bush |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitt Romney | January 2016 | Not accepted by the grassroots, Romney hopes at least to be accepted by the Establishment | Example |
| John McCain | January 2016 | McCain endorsed Romney last time, so why not endorse Jeb this time? | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
| Example | Example | Example | Example |
See also
References
- ↑ Rubio would resign from the U.S. Senate and move to another State in order to satisfy the constitutional prohibition on the V.P. being from the same State as the President.