Jeb Bush: No Florida Senate race

By Peter Wallsten and updated at 4:05 pm with Bush statement

Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and brother of President Bush, has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, ending weeks of speculation that he would preserve a Bush family power center in the nation's capital.

Unlike his older brother, Jeb Bush (pictured at left in an AP photo by John Raoux) left office with high approval ratings and a reputation as a master of policy. He was considered the GOP's strongest contender for the open seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.).

He spent much of this day calling friends and supporters to give them the news, according to one Republican close to the Bush family.

"There was a lot of support, and support from interesting places," Bush said in an interview, "but this would have been a bit detour in my life."

Republicans from Washington to Miami and Texas - including Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, had hoped that the younger Bush would jump into the race.

Former President Bush told Fox News over the weekend that he saw the Florida Senate seat as a possible precursor to another family member winning the White House in the future.

"After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010,'' Bush said in a statement released by his office this afternoon. ""While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office.''

(Jeb Bush sits fourth from the right, rear row, in this Bush family photo taken at Camp David at Christmas. President Bush sits in the middle, their mother and father, the former president, to the left of the president. White House photo by Eric Draper.)

"In the coming months and years, I hope to play a constructive role in the future of the Republican Party, advocating ideas and policies that solve the pressing problems of our day,'' Bush said. "We must rebuild the Party by focusing on the common purposes and core conservative principles that unite us all - limited government, a strong national defense and safe homeland and the protection of liberty tempered by personal responsibility.

"While fundamentally different ideologies divide Republicans and Democrats, we can not allow politics to come before the needs of our people and communities. We must raise the level of debate to reflect the American people's desire for change and bi-partisanship, embodied by November's historic election. President-elect Obama ran a tremendous campaign and I am proud to call him my President. I am confident Republicans will find productive ways to work together with the new administration to advance reforms both sides of the aisle can support.

"For me, there is no greater calling than education reform. Securing our nation's economic future starts with providing a world-class education to every single American student - building a system that lessens our populace's dependence on government. Through the Foundation for Florida's Future and Foundation for Excellence in Education, I remain committed to advancing policies key to a reform agenda, including higher academic standards, greater accountability for learning and more educational choices for all families.

"Finally, I thank Senator Martinez for his extraordinary service to our great state and thank the many Floridians and Americans across the country that offered me support and encouragement as I came to this decision."