Mitch Perry
Jeb Bush is booked to headline the Hillsborough County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner on June 19. The event will take place at the Pepin Hospitality Center, long a traditional spot for the Hillsborough GOP for major events.
Hillsborough Republican Executive Committee Chairwoman Deborah Tamargo said she was prepared to issue a press release next week, but word started circulating Thursday. She said the former Florida governor won’t be the only GOP presidential aspirant to visit the county this year.
“We are very excited to have all of the candidates come through Hillsborough County and we expect them all,” she said. “And we’ve heard from a number of them and talked to them, and so we’re going to have an exciting summer and fall, for sure.”
Bush is technically not a candidate at the moment, still running an “exploratory” campaign that is all but official. He appeared with about 20 other Republicans at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit this past weekend in New Hampshire, and was on the West Coast this week conducting fundraisers. He has been leading or in the top tier of all candidates in early national polls.
The Pepin Center holds about 500 people, and Tamargo said the event will likely be an immediate sellout. She said she intends to a hold a Reagan Barbecue this summer that will more accessible to the general public.
