Jeb Bush plans Monday visit to Las Vegas

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush plans to hold a discussion Monday in Las Vegas on “restoring the promise of America” as the Republican contemplates a 2016 run for president.

The event will start at 12:30 p.m. at the Mountain Shadows Community Center in Sun City Summerlin.

Bush plans a 20-minute casual discussion and then will take questions from the audience, according to a GOP operative who helped organize the chat that’s open to the public.

The event is being sponsored by Bush’s new Right to Rise PAC, according to a flier.

Bush is just the latest potential White House contender to visit Nevada, which holds the first GOP presidential caucus in the West as one of four early voting states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., earlier this month visited Las Vegas to sign his new book, “American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone.”

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also came to Las Vegas earlier this year to chat up diners at a restaurant on the Strip.

A couple dozen Republicans are considering running for president in 2016, but Bush, Rubio and Paul are considered among the top prospects and most likely to announce official campaigns.

All three Republicans promote the notion that America’s middle class has lost so much economic ground that the American dream of achieving prosperity through hard work is endangered.

The flier for the Bush event advertises “coffee and a discussion on restoring the promise of America.”

Nick Phillips, the political director of the Clark County Republican Party, said the Silver State is happy to host possible White House hopefuls because the visits give voters a chance to “get to know them and how they can help Nevada and the entire country as president.” He noted that Nevada as a swing state has a near-perfect record of picking the president.

“As first in the West and having voted as a state for the last 25 of 26 presidents we look forward to playing a vital role in electing the next Republican to the White House in 2016,” Phillips said.

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the likely Democratic presidential nominee, although she has not officially announced her White House campaign. Clinton, too, has visited Las Vegas several times in recent months, including to deliver a speech at a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Foundation fund-raising dinner.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Find her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj.