Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney will meet privately this week in Utah.
The meeting between the two potential 2016 GOP candidates is a likely indication that the two will attempt to avoid a competition for the Republican nomination that would seemingly pit Republican Party establishment members against one other.
The meeting was suggested and planned by Bush before Romney’s announcement two weeks ago that he was considering a third bid for the White House, two Republican Party sources told the New York Times.
Bush, the former Florida governor, was first to announce his political ambitions. He announced via Facebook on Dec. 16 that he was “actively exploring” a possible 2016 presidential campaign.
Romney, a two-time presidential candidate, followed suit weeks later, telling donors, “Everybody in here can go tell your friends that I’m considering a run.”
The two potential foes have exchanged small barbs of sort: Bush has criticized Romney’s 2012 campaign, while Romney has questioned Bush’s connections to the finance industry.
Bush leads a RealClearPolitics average of polls of potential 2016 presidential candidates with 17 points — his closest competitor is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with 11 points. Romney does not appear in the poll of 12 potential GOP candidates.
