Crowded Republican Presidential Field Expands With Jeb Bush Announcement

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Republican field is crowded with nearly one dozen candidates after Jeb Bush officially joined the race on Monday.

On the day that Republican candidate Ben Carson took the stage at Sacramento's Guild Theatre, Bush made his plans official.

Carson announced his candidacy for president in May. In total, there are 11 candidates running for the Republican nomination for president, and there could be more on the way.

"It's going to be a long slog, to get to a nominee," said Republican strategist Beth Miller.

She says the crowded field of candidates shows the party is working to broaden its appeal to voters.

"It really is across the board an incredibly diverse selection for the voters to choose from," she said.

Broadening the Republican base will likely also mean trying to attract more Latino voters, a point that Jeb Bush made on Day 1 of his campaign.

"He has a very personal identity to the latino hispanic culture with his wife and his children," she said.

Carson was a guest speaker for Mayor Kevin Johnson's nonprofit Indivizible organization.

A Monmouth University poll released on Monday, Carson led all candidates in support, followed by Scott Walker, then Bush.