Neil Bush said he will vote for Democrat James Talarico because he has concerns about Republican candidate Ken Paxton.
Published October 22, 2026
Neil Bush, the brother of former Republican President George W. Bush, said he voted for Democratic candidate James Talarico in the crucial U.S. Senate race.
Bush said in a social media post Tuesday that he voted for Talarico out of concern for his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
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Mr. Talarico and Mr. Paxton are in a close race for a vacant Senate seat in Texas. Democrats hope to take control of the 100-member Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when 35 seats will be on the ballot.
President Bush’s support of Talarico is the latest sign of division among Texas Republicans.
Mr. Bush comes from a prominent Republican family, with his older brother and father, the late George H.W. Bush, also serving as president.
“My concerns about his judgment and actions are by no means alone,” Bush wrote. “He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives, but later acquitted by the Texas Senate.”
To explain his decision, Mr. Bush cited Mr. Paxton’s divisive track record, including his efforts to support President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election.
“I am deeply troubled by Mr. Paxton’s actions as Texas Attorney General, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in another state in order 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His older brother, a former president, has largely withdrawn from politics and has refused to endorse candidates in recent elections. Before serving in the White House from 2001 to 2009, George W. Bush served as governor of Texas.
However, George W. Bush’s daughter Barbara Bush has also shown support for Talarico by donating to political action committees supporting his campaign.
Texas has long been considered a Republican stronghold, and a Democrat hasn’t won a U.S. Senate race in the state since 1988.
But polls show Mr. Talarico in a close race against Mr. Paxton, who defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the May 26 Republican primary runoff.
Paxton received Trump’s endorsement on May 19, just days before the runoff election.
In a statement, President Trump criticized Cornyn for “not standing up for him during tough times,” while praising Paxton as a “MAGA warrior.”
Some Republicans have expressed frustration with Trump’s intervention on Paxton’s behalf, given the vulnerabilities posed by his state impeachment and other scandals.
In a Marist poll released Oct. 14, Mr. Talarico received 47% of the vote, compared to 45% for Mr. Paxton.
