The likely candidate met more than 300 of his top donors near Miami Beach’s glamorous South Beach on Sunday and Monday, and began laying out what a 2016 campaign would look like, introducing advisers and outlining issues he would stress.
Ever mindful of the public’s supposed aversion to political dynasties, Bush’s team sees it as a priority to cast the brother and son of former presidents as his own man, several who attended the meeting said.
“That’s why they are going to define him as a person, so people will have a reason to listen,” said Bill Kunkler, a Bush donor from Chicago who attended. “Then voters can make an informed decision.”
The meeting, with a rooftop cocktail party at a luxury seaside hotel, was a way for Bush to thank his most generous contributors, who have helped him sprint through the first months of the year in fundraising as he prepared for an expected candidacy for the nomination.
“We’re here to celebrate the successes, not the excesses,” said Al Hoffman, a longtime Bush family friend and veteran donor. “We’re sure to be pounded on raising excessive money. But the point is, when you raise money for a campaign, there’s never enough.”
Bush or his aides would not disclose how much he has raised in the more than 60 fundraisers he’s headlined since opening the Right to Rise PAC and super PAC in January.