Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush on Friday secured the endorsement of Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a move that solidifies an already robust military and veterans network for the former Florida governor.
But whether that support and Bush's national security focus will be enough to pull his lagging campaign back to the forefront of the race remains to be seen.
Graham, a retired Air Force Reserve colonel and prominent Senate voice on defense issues, ended his own failed presidential run last month. His campaign focused almost solely on military and security issues, but his poll numbers never put him close to the top 10 candidates in the Republican field.
At Friday's endorsement event, he called his unsuccessful bid a disappointment. But he praised Bush as a worthy replacement on the national security front, saying he'll "rebuild a military in decline" and restore the armed forces' faith in its political leaders.
"Jeb Bush is ready on day one to be commander in chief, worthy of the sacrifices of the 1 percent who have been fighting these wars," Graham said. "It’s not enough to just to criticize Barack Obama. You have to have an alternative to his leading from behind."
In recent months, Bush has rolled out a growing coalition of supporters within the veterans community, including commercials last month featuring Medal of Honor recipients praising him as a thoughtful and responsible pick to lead the military.
Graham's endorsement could also give Bush political momentum in South Carolina, the third Republican primary event and one that Bush on Friday called a critical contest to the future of his campaign.
But Bush still sits fifth or sixth in most national polls, well behind frontrunners Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Trump mocked Graham's endorsement as meaningless for both men.
When he exited the race last month, Graham was the only candidate to boast military service on his resume. None of the remaining 12 Republicans or three Democrats vying for their party's nominations are veterans.
Bush promised that if he becomes commander-in-chief, his top priorities will be national defense and reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both issues have been discussion points for the candidates, but thus far have not been among the top issues moving voters in national polls.
The first primary event is the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.
Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for the Military Times newspapers. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
