Political family drama is usually reserved for holiday dinners, but Texas has managed to put some of it into a Senate race. Neil Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush and the son of former President George H.W. Bush, says he voted for Democrat James Talarico rather than Republican Ken Paxton.
In a Facebook post, Bush announced that he cast an early ballot for Talarico in the highly contested Texas Senate race. The move is notable because Bush has spent most of his life as a Republican. Apparently, party loyalty has limits, and Bush believes this contest reached one of them.
“I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate,” Bush wrote on Facebook, arguing that character “matters more than party affiliation.”
Bush also took aim at Paxton, who is backed by President Trump, while criticizing Paxton’s conduct as Texas attorney general and his role in challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states. Bush wrote:
“I have been deeply troubled by Paxton’s conduct as Texas Attorney General, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states in an effort to help Donald Trump remain in power,” he wrote.
“I believe that effort was an affront to our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power. My concerns about his judgment and conduct are hardly mine alone. He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House, although subsequently acquitted by the Texas Senate.”
That is not exactly a quiet personal disagreement. It is a political grenade tossed into a race already described as tight and high-profile. Republicans can debate whether crossing party lines over character is principled or politically reckless, but Bush clearly believes the choice is justified.
The Bush family support for Talarico does not stop with Neil. USA Today reported that Barbara Bush, the 44-year-old daughter of George W. and Laura Bush, donated to Lone Star Rising, a political action committee supporting Talarico. Federal Election Commission records show a $2,500 contribution from Bush on Sept. 23.
In campaign-finance terms, $2,500 is small potatoes compared with the hundreds of millions reported as having poured into Talarico’s campaign. Still, political lawyer Andrew Cates told Houston Public Media that the contribution could carry symbolic value. Houston Public Media broke the news on Oct. 16.
So the Texas Senate race now has an extra layer of family politics. Neil Bush says he crossed party lines, while Barbara Bush provided financial support to the Democratic candidate. At the same time, Paxton is facing criticism from figures connected to a family long associated with Republican politics.
Party labels are supposed to make political choices simple. Texas, apparently, did not get the memo. The Bush family’s involvement gives Talarico another talking point and gives Paxton another challenge in a contest already drawing plenty of attention.
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