Jeb Bush headed to South Carolina

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.), a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, will visit the critical early primary state of South Carolina next month. 

The University of South Carolina announced on Monday that Bush will give the Dec. 15 commencement speech and receive an honorary degree for public service. Bush’s father, former President George H.W. Bush, and brother, former President George W. Bush, both spoke at the same commencement and received honorary degrees from the school. 

{mosads}While Bush’s participation at the school’s events aren’t political, potential candidates often use their time in early primary and caucus states to meet with supporters and party leaders, laying the groundwork for a potential run.

South Carolina voters have a history of voting in the primary for the party’s eventual nominee. But their perfect streak was broken in 2012, when former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) triumphed in the state over the eventual Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Gingrich’s South Carolina victory ended up being the high point of his campaign, which fell apart shortly after.

Bush has been coy about whether he’ll run, but in what is expected to be a crowded field, he presently enjoys the best name recognition out of all potential candidates, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released last week.

He’s also a fundraising behemoth who built up reservoirs of good will for the work he did on behalf of Republicans who were up for reelection in 2014.