RALEIGH -- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spoke at at the North Carolina Republican Party headquarters Friday morning while meeting with invited guests.

Bush said he is concerned about poverty,

"It breaks my heart to know that if you are born poor in this country today you are more likely to stay poor. And if you are in the middle, you're getting squeezed. That's the effect of bad policy."

Other prominent Republicans are planning visits to the state, which was closely contested in the past two presidential elections. Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is speaking at the state Republican convention next month. President Barack Obama narrowly won North Carolina in 2008, while Republican Mitt Romney carried the state in 2012.