As part of a political dynasty that includes his father and his brother, 2016 GOP presidential nominee frontrunner Jeb Bush was never shy about using his connections to further his career, according to a new report by the New York Times.

Bush, who would later become governor of Florida and could be the third Bush to take up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, began early trying to peddle influence. In 1985, in his early 30s when his father was serving as vice president to Ronald Reagan, Bush sent an emotional letter asking his father to investigate Cuban children who were being detained in Texas, asking for “compassion.”

Four years later, his father won the presidency, and Jeb Bush immediately offered up his own recommendation for the next justice on the Supreme Court, a recommendation that a senior aide told him would be given “thoughtful consideration.”

In 1990, he lobbied the White House to meet with Motorola, which would lead to a beneficial relationship that would help him later on in his political career.

During the 12 years that his father was either vice president or president, Bush used his access to the upper echelons of government to curry favor with powerful Republicans and push his own agenda, buffing his own political profile, according to the Times report.

He built a deep network of relationships in Florida that would serve him well, ultimately resulting in his election as governor in 1998, and now could be key to helping him secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

During his time in business in his 20s and 30s, he worked as a real estate developer and entrepreneur, eventually getting into regional politics and using his name to help get the chairmanship of the Dade County Republican Party. He also became the go-to man for anyone seeking access to the White House.

Letters from Jeb Bush to his father and Ronald Reagan are kept in presidential libraries, and indicate he is often compassionate and equally demanding. He is always aware of the influence he has and how he can use it to his advantage, according to the report.

Jeb Bush stood out among even his own family with his fierce opinions and the frequency with which he expressed them. He seemed determined to chart out a political future of his own, and he was largely successful in that effort.