Jeb Bush once claimed to be Hispanic; he isn't

The probable presidential candidate is married to a Mexican and speaks fluent Spanish

(Getty Images)

Jeb Bush once claimed he was Hispanic on a 2009 voter-identification card – the New York Times revealed on Monday – even though he has two Caucasian parents.

He does, however, have a Mexican wife and speak fluent Spanish, so perhaps he was feeling a bit Hispanic when he filled out the Florida voter card. And Mr Bush was born in Texas and served as the governor of Florida, two heavily Hispanic states. He also spent two years living in Venezuela, msnbc reported.

Mr Bush claimed on Twitter that marking Hispanic on the ID card simply was a mistake.

Regardless of his wife’s heritage and his Spanish ability, he remains a son of George and Barbara Bush, who are not Hispanic.

The Times’ publication of the voter-ID card will doubtless raise questions as to why he would claim to be Hispanic on a government document, as Mr Bush is considered one of the top Republican candidates for the 2016 US presidential race.

Mr Bush, the son and brother of former US presidents, has yet to officially announce his intention to run in 2016 but is widely expected to do so. He has been tapped as a top Republican candidate and one who could raise the most money out of the conservative candidates.

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