Brother of George W Bush endorses Democratic Senate candidate in Texas

Neil Bush says that he voted for Democrat James Talarico due to reservations about Republican candidate Ken Paxton.

Al JazeeraBrian Osgood2026-10-22 01:01查看原文 ↗

Neil Bush says that he will vote for Democrat James Talarico due to reservations about Republican candidate Ken Paxton.

Democratic candidate for US Senate James Talarico speaks to supporters in Houston, Texas, on October 21, 2026 [Cecile Clocheret/AFP]

Neil Bush, brother of former Republican President George W Bush, has said that he voted for the Democratic candidate James Talarico in a crucial race for the United States Senate.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Bush said he voted for Talarico due to concerns about the Republican candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton .

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Talarico and Paxton are in a tight race for Texas’s open Senate seat. Democrats are hoping to seize control of the 100-member Senate in the November 3 midterm elections, when 35 seats will be on the ballot.

Bush’s endorsement of Talarico is the latest sign of division among Texas Republicans.

Bush comes from a prominent Republican family: not only was his brother a president, but his father, the late George HW Bush, was too.

“My concerns about his judgment and conduct are hardly mine alone,” Bush wrote. “He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House, although subsequently acquitted by the Texas Senate.”

To explain his decision, Bush pointed to Paxton’s divisive track record, including efforts to support President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

“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,” Bush said.

“I believe that effort was an affront to our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power.”

His brother, the former president, has largely receded from political life and has declined to endorse candidates in recent elections. Before serving in the White House from 2001 to 2009, George W Bush was governor of Texas.

But George W Bush’s daughter Barbara Bush has also shown her support for Talarico by donating to a political action committee backing his campaign.

Texas has long been considered a Republican stronghold, and Democrats have not won a Senate race in the state since 1988.

But polls show Talarico locked in a close race with Paxton, who defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican Party’s primary run-off on May 26.

Paxton had secured an endorsement from Trump on May 19, days before the run-off.

In a statement , Trump criticised Cornyn as “not supportive of [him] when times were tough”, while praising Paxton as a “MAGA Warrior”.

Some Republicans have expressed frustration over Trump’s intervention on Paxton’s behalf, given the vulnerabilities posed by his state impeachment and other scandals.

A Marist poll released on October 14 found Talarico winning 47 percent of the vote compared to 45 percent for Paxton.

尼尔·布什表示，由于对共和党候选人肯·帕克斯顿有所保留，他将投票给民主党候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科。

2026年10月21日，美国参议院民主党候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科在德克萨斯州休斯顿向支持者发表讲话。[Cecile Clocheret/AFP]

前共和党总统乔治·W·布什的弟弟尼尔·布什表示，他在美国参议院的一场关键选举中投票给了民主党候选人詹姆斯·塔拉里科。

布什周二在社交媒体上发帖称，他投票给塔拉里科是因为对共和党候选人、德克萨斯州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿感到担忧。

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塔拉里科和帕克斯顿正在激烈角逐德克萨斯州空缺的参议院席位。民主党希望在11月3日的中期选举中夺取拥有100个席位的参议院的控制权，届时将有35个席位进行改选。

布什对塔拉里科的支持是德克萨斯州共和党内部出现分裂的最新迹象。

布什出身于一个显赫的共和党家庭：他的哥哥曾担任总统，他的父亲，已故的乔治·H·W·布什也曾担任总统。

“我对他的判断力和行为的担忧并非我一人独有，”布什写道。“他曾被共和党控制的德克萨斯州众议院弹劾，但随后被德克萨斯州参议院宣告无罪。”