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CNN Live Event/Special

Jeb Bush Announces Reelection Bid

Aired June 08, 2001 - 10:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to go to Coral Park Elementary School in Miami. Governor Jeb Bush here to congratulations the kids on doing better in their grades and, perhaps, announced his bid for reelection to governor.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: ... I'm very proud of the fact that, all across this state, children are learning more and more and more, and the dedicated teachers and principals and parents are focusing their efforts to assure that there's -- that every child in this state has a chance of a year's worth of knowledge in a year's time.

And the last two years have been -- this has, perhaps, been the most gratifying part of my tenure as governor, is to see this happen. And I expect it to happen year after year after year.

And Jesus, thank you for coming. He's a neighboring student at Ventury (ph) Elementary. This great school has proven that every child can learn. And, with a focused effort by teachers and principals and parents, great things can happen.

Anybody have any questions?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) My question is, are you running for reelection?

BUSH: I intend to run for reelection. I am -- I've had the time to...

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: After the legislative session, I had a chance to spend some time with my family and with my wife, who has been completely supportive of this. And I believe that we have unfinished business, and there's a window of opportunity in our state to really change the things that need to be changed: protection of the environment, delivery of social services in a compassionate way, tax relief for small businesses, reforming our education system and making sure it's our first priority.

And so we'll continue to advocate these ideas, and I look forward to announcing my candidacy in a formal way later on.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KELLEY: Will announce formerly later on, but there you hear it: He intends to run for reelection -- the current governor of Florida, Jeb Bush. And he said he spent some time with the family, and he had some unfinished business to do, and he hit the issues that he's interested in talking about.

Now we'll see who he runs against. There is, of course, the former Attorney General Janet Reno, who has been talking about whether or not she will. There's a poll published recently by the "Herald," indicates that a Reno-Bush race would be very close: 49 percent favoring the incumbent, Bush; 43 percent for Reno; and 8 percent are undecided.

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