George W Bush's brother Jeb to explore US presidential bid

Jeb Bush, son to one former US president and brother to another, has thrown his hat into the ring for the 2016 race, announcing he had consulted his family and decided to explore a bid.

"As a result of these conversations and thoughtful consideration of the kind of strong leadership I think America needs, I have decided to actively explore the possibility of running for president," he said on Tuesday.

The 61-year-old former Florida governor is the first serious Republican contender to announce a possible run in his party's primaries.

Jockeying is already underway to see who will challenge the presumptive Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, in the general election to decide who will replace President Barack Obama.

Creating an exploratory committee permits Bush to start raising funds legally and traditionally signals the first official step in a presidential campaign process.

"In January, I also plan to establish a Leadership PAC that will help me facilitate conversations with citizens across America to discuss the most critical challenges facing our exceptional nation," Bush said.

"In the coming months, I hope to visit with many of you and have a conversation about restoring the promise of America."

On Sunday, Bush said he would decide "in short order" whether he will seek to follow his brother George W. Bush, president from 2001 to 2009, and their father George H.W. Bush, 1989 to 1993.

When it comes to wooing the conservative Republican base in his own party's primaries, he could suffer from his seven-year absence from the political scene and largely centrist positions.

In particular, his moderate stance in the explosive US immigration debate may hurt his chances.

Bush is a mainstream Republican seen as less ideologically rigid than the conservatives considering a presidential run, like Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

"I have no clue if I'd be a good candidate. I hope I would be," Bush told ABC television affiliate WPLG-TV on Sunday.

In October, George W. Bush said his younger brother "wants to be president" and that he was "pushing for him to run".