There will be no Senator Bush. We’re looking at a statement now ….
From an e-mail he sent out this afternoon:
While I will always have more than fond memories of my years in public office and was humbled by the outpouring of support I received over the last few weeks, now is not my time to be running for office. To sum it up, in the words of Dr. Stephen Covey, I have decided to put “First Things First”.
I will continue to stay involved in the advocacy of a vibrant, growing Republican Party and with it, 21st Century conservative solutions to the challenges we face.
All the best,
Jeb
UPDATE:
The statement:
This morning, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush released the following statement on the 2010 United States Senate race in Florida for Senator Mel Martinez’s Senate seat: “After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010.
“While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office.
“In the coming months and years, I hope to play a constructive role in the future of the Republican Party, advocating ideas and policies that solve the pressing problems of our day. We must rebuild the Party by focusing on the common purposes and core conservative principles that unite us all – limited government, a strong national defense and safe homeland and the protection of liberty tempered by personal responsibility.
“While fundamentally different ideologies divide Republicans and Democrats, we can not allow politics to come before the needs of our people and communities. We must raise the level of debate to reflect the American people’s desire for change and bi-partisanship, embodied by November’s historic election. President-elect Obama ran a tremendous campaign and I am proud to call him my President. I am confident Republicans will find productive ways to work together with the new administration to advance reforms both sides of the aisle can support.
“For me, there is no greater calling than education reform. Securing our nation’s economic future starts with providing a world-class education to every single American student – building a system that lessens our populace’s dependence on government. Through the Foundation for Florida’s Future and Foundation for Excellence in Education, I remain committed to advancing policies key to a reform agenda, including higher academic standards, greater accountability for learning and more educational choices for all families.
“Finally, I thank Senator Martinez for his extraordinary service to our great state and thank the many Floridians and Americans across the country that offered me support and encouragement as I came to this decision.”