Politics

Following Sen. Lindsey Graham's lead, former Sen. Coleman supports Jeb

Following Sen. Lindsey Graham's lead, former Sen. Coleman supports Jeb

By Allison Sherry

January 25, 2016 at 8:30PM
Former U.S. Sentator Norm Coleman stood at the podium and held up seven fingers, signifying the number of Minnesota House seats the Republicans need to win in the next election to take control of the House at the Minnesota State Legislature. Coleman spoke at the Minnesota Republican Party Convention at the Rochester Civic Center Friday, May 30, 2014.](DAVIDJOLES/STARTRIBUNE) djoles@startribune.com Minnesota Republican Party Convention at the Rochester Civic Center Friday, May 30, 2014
Former U.S. Sentator Norm Coleman stood at the podium and held up seven fingers, signifying the number of Minnesota House seats the Republicans need to win in the next election to take control of the House at the Minnesota State Legislature. Coleman spoke at the Minnesota Republican Party Convention at the Rochester Civic Center Friday, May 30, 2014.](DAVIDJOLES/STARTRIBUNE) djoles@startribune.com Minnesota Republican Party Convention at the Rochester Civic Center Friday, May 30, 2014 (Mike Nelson — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

WASHINGTON -- Former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman threw support behind Jeb Bush's presidential bid Monday.

Coleman, a former one-term Minnesota senator, was previously supporting Sen. Lindsey Graham's presidential bid and running his super PAC. Graham ended his bid in December and in January said he was supporting Bush, a former Florida governor sagging in the national polls.

On Fox News on Monday, Coleman followed his lead. He said, from an apparently sunny locale, that Bush is the one person "ready to be commander-in-chief on day one, the one person that put together in November, before Paris, before San Bernardino, a plan to defeat ISIS, is Jeb Bush," he said, referring to the terrorist group the Islamic State.

"That's the issue," Coleman said. "National security is the issue."

about the writer

about the writer

Allison Sherry

See More