Commissioner Murman quoted in this WFLA news article on Jeb Bush:

Jeb Bush to make announcement on 2016 presidential bid

Posted: Jun 04, 2015 6:31 AM EDTUpdated: Jun 04, 2015 5:58 PM EDT

By Lauren Mayk

MIAMI, FL (WFLA) –

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to announce his decision on a run for the White House on June 15 in Miami.

Bush has been traveling the country and raising money for his Right to Rise PAC over the past six months but is not a declared candidate for president.

“Governor Bush is thankful for the support and encouragement he has received from so many Americans during the last several months and looks forward to announcing his decision,” a spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

Bush, the son of one president and the brother of another, announced in December that he would “actively explore” the idea of running for president.

Supporters in Tampa Bay praised Bush’s personal and leadership skills, pointing to crises such as 9/11 and the multiple hurricanes that struck Florida in 2004.

“He didn’t just want to call you up on the phone and talk to you,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman, who served as Speaker Pro-Tempore in the Florida House during Bush’s time as governor. “It’s like, ‘Come into my office, let’s talk.’ If I couldn’t, he would wait til 9 o clock at night.”

Chris Hart, a former Hillsborough County Commissioner who worked for Bush’s father George H.W. Bush while he was Vice President, noticed how many of the then-governor’s staffers have followed him – seeing that as a testament to him and his relationships.

“The people that are with him today were with him in 1994 when he first ran for governor – the same people,” he said.

In Florida, a Bush run isn’t surprising to many who watched and knew him, said News Channel 8 political analyst Dr. Susan MacManus. “They just wondered when it was going to happen,” she said. “Not if, but when.”

A spokesperson tells News Channel 8 Thursday morning that “Governor Bush is thankful for the support and encouragement he has received from so many Americans during the last several months and looks forward to announcing his decision.”

Bush received a warm reception out of an array of GOP presidential contenders at the Economic Growth Summit in Orlando on Tuesday. The event was hosted at Disney World by the state’s current Republican governor, Rick Scott.