Neil Bush, the younger brother of ex-President George W. Bush, says he cast his ballot for Democrat James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton in Texas' U.S. Senate race, according to Newsweek.
Bush, 71, the son of George H.W. Bush and head of his father’s Points of Light nonprofit, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday that he’d voted early for Talarico. He said he’s been a Republican most of his life but that character outweighs party.
He said he was deeply troubled by Paxton’s attempt as attorney general to challenge the 2020 results in other states in order to keep Donald Trump in power, which he called an assault on democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power.
He added that his vote was “about much more” than Paxton. Though he has never met Talarico, he praised him as respectful, seeking common ground and interested in unifying people, with a faith that seems a source of humility.
“Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country,” Bush concluded.
Most polls have Talarico narrowly ahead. Barbara Bush, George W. Bush’s daughter, reportedly gave $2,500 to a super PAC backing him. George W. Bush has mostly stayed quiet about Trump. Newsweek said it contacted both campaigns for comment.
Trump has done everything in his power to try to boost Paxton, as well as Texas Republicans generally. He was the driving push behind last year's GOP mid-decade redistricting to make five congressional seats in Texas more Republican, though observers suggest that redraw may not be as successful as previously assumed.