George W. and Laura Bush had hoped Jeb Bush would run for president

Former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura wish former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) would run for president.

“We wanted him to [run] this time,” the former first lady said Wednesday at a town hall in Sarasota, Fla., according to comments published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

“We’re out of politics, as George would say, but still interested in policy,” Laura Bush said, pointing to Jeb Bush’s work in education policy as a “wonderful” quality he would bring to the presidency.

Jeb Bush, George W. Bush’s brother, was frequently named as a possible candidate leading up to 2012. Speculation about his candidacy did not die down until the GOP primaries began in January. His candidacy would continue the Bush legacy: He is a brother of the 43rd U.S. president and son of the 41st, George H.W. Bush.

Ahead of her town-hall-style speech, part of a series hosted by the Ringling College Library Association, Bush told reporters that watching the primary season unfurl gave her a sense of “nostalgia.”

“I hope that all of the people that are there, and the candidates, and their spouses and families are looking at it for what it is, which is an unbelievable life experience that very few people have had the chance to have,” she said, according to Sarasota’s ABC affiliate.

Bush made several stops during her visit to Sarasota, including touring Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and speaking about her interest in ocean conservation later in the day.

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