Bush, the son and brother of former Republican presidents, declared on Facebook on Tuesday that he will "actively explore" a campaign for president, making him the first potential candidate to step this far into the 2016 race.

The announcement '€” more than a year before the first primary contests '€” could deeply affect the race for the Republican nomination. He is the early favorite of the party's establishment wing, and his move puts immediate pressure on other establishment-minded Republican contenders to start actively competing with him for donors, campaign staff and national attention.

In contrast to the crowded Republican field, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has emerged as the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic nomination, even though she has not confirmed her intention to run. Her husband, Bill Clinton, defeated former President George H.W. Bush, the father of Jeb Bush, in 1992.

Kristy Campbell, a spokeswoman for the 61-year-old Jeb Bush, said he has not yet made a final decision on whether to seek the Republican Party's presidential nomination. She said that he will announce his decision next year "after gauging support" for a run.

But the statement by Bush, who is among the more moderate potential candidates, is sure to begin to help sort out a field that includes more than a dozen potential candidates, none of whom have formally announced plans to mount a campaign.

In a holiday message posted on his Facebook page, the son and brother of Republican presidents said he had discussed the "future of our nation" and his own prospective bid for the White House with members of his family over the Thanksgiving holiday.

"As a result of these conversations and thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for president of the United States," Bush wrote in a holiday message on his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Should he ultimately decide to run, Bush can tap into his family's vast political network, but it remains unclear how the legacies of last two Bushes to hold the presidency will affect his chances.

His older brother, George W. Bush, was deeply unpopular by the time he left the White House after two terms in 2009, amid fatigue over the Iraq war and anger over the financial crisis that triggered an economic recession. However, recent polls suggest Americans now see him more favorably. And after more than two decades, Americans have warm views of their father's presidency.

Although his record as Florida governor from 1999 to 2007 was overwhelmingly conservative, Bush has long been a favorite of establishment Republicans less concerned about conservative ideology than reclaiming the White House. Many Republican leaders see in Bush a pragmatist who served two terms in a crucial battleground state that President Barack Obama won twice.

His campaign would attract strong support from the same donor pool that other establishment-minded Republicans would need.

Bush, a fluent Spanish speaker married to a Mexican-American, has advocated a pathway to legal status for immigrants in the U.S. illegally, taking a moderate stance on an issue many Republican leaders see as key to wooing the growing Hispanic population in a general election. He has also championed new education standards that have drawn the ire of conservatives who view them as a federal intrusion into local classrooms.

Those middle ground positions, however, have antagonized hardcore conservatives whose support is critical for securing the Republican nomination.

His path to his party's nomination is all but sure to require dispatching a collection of formidable political leaders, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. (***)

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