Two Bush family members back Democrat James Talarico in Texas Senate race as polls show a neck-and-neck contest
Two members of the Bush family, the Republican political dynasty that counts Texas as its political launchpad, have backed Democrat James Talarico in the hotly contested race for a Senate seat in the Lone Star State.
Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W Bush, has reportedly donated to Talarico’s campaign, while her uncle, Neil Bush, says he backs the Democrat.
The Republican candidate, Ken Paxton, beat a primary challenge from Neil Bush’s nephew, so the endorsement may be cast by critics as political sour grapes.
But the Bushes could potentially influence some disaffected Republican voters in next month’s vote. No Democrat has won a Texas Senate seat since 1988.
Opinion polls show Paxton and Talarico neck and neck ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, which will decide which party controls Congress.
Neil Bush said he was opposing Paxton because of Paxton’s efforts to help President Donald Trump deny his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
In a post on Facebook late on Tuesday, Neil Bush wrote that he had cast his ballot for Talarico as early voting began. His vote was motivated by two things, he wrote: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles he sees in James Talarico.
A businessman who has never held political office, Neil Bush is remembered for his role as a director of the Silverado Savings and Loan when it collapsed in 1988, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion.
Meanwhile, Barbara Bush has donated to help Talarico, campaign finance records show. Bush, the twin of US chat show host Jenna Hager Bush, reportedly gave $2,500 (about £1,900) to a political action committee that supports the Democrat. The BBC has contacted Barbara Bush for comment.
A survivor of several political scandals, Paxton was previously impeached by fellow Republicans in the Texas state legislature. He also beat a primary challenge from the son of Jeb Bush, George P Bush.
The Bushes have had a complex relationship with Trump since he beat Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Former President George HW Bush previously called Trump a braggart and confirmed he had voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
His son, George W Bush — whom Trump repeatedly lambasted for launching the US war in Iraq — has made thinly veiled criticisms of Trump, although George P Bush backed Trump during his own political campaigns. Against this backdrop, the Bush family’s latest position in Texas carries particular significance ahead of the midterms.
