Neil Bush, George W. Bush’s Brother, Says He Voted for James Talarico in Texas Senate Race

Neil Bush, brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George HW Bush, said Tuesday that he voted Democratic. James Talarico in the Texas Senate race while criticizing President Trump and “those who enabled him” for causing “enormous damage to the Republican Party.”

“My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico,” Bush wrote in a Facebook post.

Talarico is currently facing Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the most hotly contested Senate races in the country. Early voting began Monday.

Bush’s name is almost synonymous with the rise of the Republican Party in Texas. Democrats dominated Texas politics for much of the 20th century, and George W. Bush’s defeat by Democratic Governor Ann Richards in 1994 helped solidify the Republican Party’s hold on power. In a decade, Republicans swept every statewide office, redrew the map of the U.S. House of Representatives to increase their advantage, and gained majorities in both houses of the state Legislature.

George P. Bush, the son of Jeb Bush and nephew of Neil and George W. Bush, unsuccessfully challenged Paxton in a primary for attorney general in 2022.

In his message, Neil Bush wrote that he was “deeply troubled by Paxton’s conduct as Attorney General of Texas, 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.”

Most members of the Bush family have generally avoided criticizing the sitting president since George W. Bush left office in 2009.

Neil Bush noted that he has been “a Republican for most of his life and I still believe deeply in many traditional Republican principles.”

“But character matters more than party affiliation,” he wrote. “Our democracy depends on leaders who respect our institutions, tell the truth, accept accountability, and seek to unite rather than divide.”

One of the most controversial candidates on this cycle’s ballot, Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, which were later settled in a backdoor deal. He was indicted in 2023 by the GOP-controlled Texas House on separate charges of corruption and abuse of power. He was acquitted in the state Senate trial.

Paxton unseated incumbent Senator John Cornyn during a bitter GOP primary earlier this year after receiving Mr. Trump’s endorsement. The president continued to vigorously support Paxton throughout the general election, making several trips to Texas to campaign for him.

Even though Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, Democrats are hoping their fortunes will change this year. Talarico has a narrow lead in most polls, including one recent CBS News poll. CBS News Battleground Tracker Pricing the race like a draw.

Neil Bush said in his message that his “vote today went far beyond opposing Ken Paxton.”

“I have never met James Talarico, but I have been extremely impressed by the way he approaches complex and controversial issues,” Bush wrote. “He speaks respectfully, seeks common ground, and seems genuinely interested in bringing people together rather than driving them apart.”

Bush praised Talarico, who is a seminarian, for his faith, and added that he sees “in him the qualities that I most admire in public servants: integrity, courtesy, humility and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees.”