CA gubernatorial hopeful gets endorsements from Romney, Jeb Bush.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: California gubernatorial hopeful Neel Kashkari just got a string of critical Republican endorsements to back up his bid for the state’s highest political office.
Kashkari (40), running on the Conservative ticket, has the support of 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush and the son of former President George H.W. Bush. Pete Wilson, a former Governor of California, has also voiced his support for Kashakari, as has Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).
“California needs a leader who will take on bold reforms that put students first,” said Bush, who announced his endorsement in a letter. “Neel comes from a business background, but his passion is fostering more opportunity for California’s children by empowering teachers and parents and unleashing the power of the market to create good jobs.”
Romney voiced similar praise, saying “Democrats’ big-government policies have hurt the middle class and reduced opportunity for Americans across the country, and that’s the reason it’s so important to elect leaders like Neel Kashkari, who understand how to jump-start the private sector, fix our schools and get people working again” in a statement, according to the L.A. Times.
Much like Romney was a candidate in 2012, Bush is heavily expected to be a player in the 2016 race. Coming from the storied Bush dynasty, the former head of Florida is likely to vie for the Republican nomination to the White House, making his endorsement of Kashkari all the more important – and possibly meaning that if Kashkari does become California’s Governor, he could become a Vice-Presidential prospect down the road, too.
So far, he is up against just one other Republican: Tim Donnelly, a member of the California State Assembly who is notorious for his heavily conservative views. Both Kashkari and Donnelly will campaign against incumbent Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat. Although Republican, Kashkari has stated numerous times that he is a supporter of GOP fiscal policies despite remaining liberal on several social issues, namely abortion and gay marriage.
Kashkari has never held elected office so far in his career. His highest-profile stint in politics was as a high-ranking official in the Treasury Department. During his time there, from 2006 to 2009, he was a key player in the federal bank bailout program engineered by former President George W. Bush and continued by President Barack Obama.
Born and brought up in Ohio, Kashkari earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in 1995 and 1998, respectively. In 2002, he earned his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.