Former Florida governor and likely Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush identified himself as Hispanic on a 2009 voter registration form, The New York Times has revealed.
The Times reports that the application, obtained from the Miami-Dade County Elections Department, shows that Mr. Bush marked himself “Hispanic” in the field labeled “race/ethnicity.”
Under Florida law, voter registration applications must be submitted in hard copy and require an original signature, because the voter is swearing or affirming an oath, The Times reported.
Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell told USA Today that “it’s unclear where the paperwork error was made,” adding that the governor’s family “certainly got a good laugh out of it.”
Mr. Bush’s son, Jeb Bush Jr., apparently alerted his dad to The Times’ report Monday morning, writing on Twitter: “LOL — come on dad, think you checked the wrong box #HonoraryLatino.”
Within 20 minutes Mr. Bush responded: “My mistake! Don’t think I’ve fooled anyone!”
Mr. Bush, the brother and son of two former presidents, was born and raised in Texas. He taught English in Mexico where he met his wife, Columba Bush, and speaks fluent Spanish. For two years in his 20s, he lived in Venezuela.
“While Mr. Bush’s claiming to be Hispanic may have been a careless mistake, confusion over heritage is no laughing matter during a campaign season,” The Times reported, citing Elizabeth Warren’s Senate campaign in 2012, when she was accused of misrepresenting herself as Cherokee.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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