In any given presidential election cycle, the Tampa Bay area gets a decent share of visits from presidential hopefuls, given that conventional wisdom posits the I-4 corridor is kind of a divining rod for the rest of the nation.
The Tampa Bay area is also kind of a political epicenter for Florida, if you ask us, given the spate of powerful politicians that hail from here, not to mention the fact that this is the biggest media market in the state.
So it should be no surprise that Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and current presidential hopeful, should address supporters here just four days after he announces his candidacy.
His keynote address at the Hillsborough County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner was announced nearly two months before he announced his candidacy (though obviously everyone knew at the time an announcement was forthcoming).
The event is scheduled for the Pepin Hospitality Center in Tampa at 7:15 p.m.
Aside from a group of activists critical of Bush's position on Common Core, it is unclear whether there will be demonstrators outside protesting — or cheering for the third Bush to seek the presidency.
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2015.