Jeb Bush, Romney to meet

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) and Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), both of whom are mulling presidential runs in 2016, will meet privately this week, The New York Times reported late Wednesday.

{mosads}The meeting will take place in Utah, according the newspaper, where Romney has a home. It was reportedly scheduled at Bush’s request before Romney told donors in a closed-door meeting that he was considering running again.

The meeting was initially meant to give Bush a chance to thaw relations with Romney, the Times reported, after Bush did little to help Romney’s presidential campaign in 2012.

Now, however, the meeting is coming as they both battle for support from some of the Republican Party’s power players.

Both men would draw on the Republican establishment should they run — and both are already said to be calling the same donors. Some donors are hoping that the party can coalesce around one major establishment candidate, like Romney, Bush or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).

Bush said in mid-December that he intended to explore a presidential run. Romney told donors he was considering a run in January, after months of saying he would not run again.