Texas, a state long rooted in Republican political tradition, is facing one of the most competitive Senate races in recent 2024 midterm election history – and it has just been upended by a surprising intervention from one of the nation’s most iconic Republican political dynasties, the Bush family.
Two members of the Bush clan, which built its political legacy starting from Texas, have publicly thrown their support behind Democratic candidate James Talarico in the battleground Senate contest, a move that has sent ripples through statewide and national political circles. Neil Bush, businessman and son of the late former President George H.W. Bush, confirmed he has already cast his early vote for Talarico, while Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, has contributed financially to the Democratic candidate’s campaign, according to official campaign finance records.
In a public Facebook post shared early this week as early voting kicked off across Texas, Neil Bush laid out his reasoning for breaking with the state’s Republican establishment to back a Democrat. He wrote that his decision was driven by “two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico.”
Paxton, the Republican nominee, has a long history of controversy. A survivor of multiple political scandals, Paxton was previously impeached by his own party’s members in the Texas state legislature, though he ultimately avoided removal from office. For Neil Bush, the core grievance against Paxton centers on his role in supporting former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Joe Biden won.
Paxton defeated George P. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Neil Bush’s nephew, in this year’s Republican primary, leading some political critics to dismiss the endorsement as a case of “sour grapes” from the Bush faction. Even so, political analysts note that the Bush name still carries significant weight among moderate and disaffected Republican voters in Texas – a bloc that could prove decisive in a race that polling shows is essentially a dead heat.
Campaign finance records confirm that Barbara Bush, twin sister of media personality Jenna Hager Bush, donated $2,500 to a political action committee supporting Talarico’s campaign. The BBC has reached out to Barbara Bush for additional comment on her contribution, but has not yet received a response.
Polling ahead of the November 3 election consistently shows Paxton and Talarico neck and neck, with control of Congress hanging in the balance of this and a handful of other competitive Senate races. No Democratic candidate has won a Texas Senate seat since 1988, making a Talarico victory all the more historic if it comes to pass.
The Bush family has had a well-documented strained relationship with Donald Trump dating back to the 2016 Republican presidential primary, when Trump defeated Jeb Bush to secure the party’s nomination. The late George H.W. Bush famously called Trump a “blow hard” and confirmed he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. George W. Bush, whom Trump has repeatedly criticized for his decision to launch the Iraq War, has also made public thinly veiled criticisms of Trump’s leadership style and political agenda. While some younger members of the family, including George P. Bush, have backed Trump in past elections, the latest endorsement of Talarico underscores the ongoing split between traditional establishment Republicans and the Trump-aligned faction that now controls the party’s leadership in Texas and across much of the country.