Jeb Bush Leaving 2016 Rivals Behind With Massive Fundraising Push

Former Florida Governor and 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush is massively outstripping his fellow Republican aspirants in terms of fundraising, and is on course to raise an unprecedented sum of tens of millions of dollars by early spring, according to a Washington Post report.

Bush's two political action committees have between them been hosting an average of one fundraiser a day, which has impressed big money players in the Republican Party, and helped the candidate attract big-money donors who have parted from Mitt Romney, now that the 2012 GOP candidate has ruled out a 2016 run, the paper said.

Late last month, in a speech to Republican lobbyists in Washington, Bush outlined plans to hold 60 fundraisers in cities across the country in the coming months, according to the Washington Examiner.

Bush has also benefited from a wide network of donors who supported both his father and brother, as well as a sense that his moderate position on immigration makes him more likely to succeed with moderate voters in a general election, the Post reported.

Bush has already been putting his financial clout to good use, handing out thousands of dollars through his political action committees to Republican state parties in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Florida -- states that will be among the first to hold nominating contests in the 2016 primaries that decide the party candidates for the election, Reuters reported.

Bush's allies are aiming to collect $100 million in the coming months through the political committee and a companion super-PAC that bears the same name, according to Bloomberg. The suggested donation was $100,000 at an event Bush attended in New York earlier this week, and will be the same at a Chicago event planned for next week.

Among Bush's high-profile competitors for the Oval Office in 2016, New Jersey governor yesterday suffered a blow, as a new poll revealed that his support among voters in his state had reached all-time lows. In addition, Republican donors interviewed by the Post reported a drop in support for Chris Christie.