Neil Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush and brother of former President George W. Bush, has publicly endorsed Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, breaking with his family’s longstanding Republican tradition.
Bush announced his decision on Facebook, stating he had never previously posted a political message on the platform, not wanting to offend friends with differing views.
“I have never posted a political message on Facebook, not wanting to offend friends whose views may be very different than mine. I’m breaking that tradition because I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate,” Bush wrote.
“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,” he added, laying out his reasoning clearly.
Bush went further, addressing what he sees as a broader cultural problem within the Republican Party under President Donald Trump’s influence.
“I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party. I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable,” Bush wrote.
Neil is the second Bush family member to break ranks in the Texas Senate race, which polls currently show as a dead heat between Talarico and Republican incumbent Ken Paxton.
Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, contributed $2,500 on Sept. 23 to Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC supporting Talarico, according to federal campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Lone Star Rising PAC is one of the major outside groups spending to support Talarico and oppose Paxton in what has become one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country.
The Bush family’s drift away from the Republican mainstream reflects a broader tension that has built since the 2016 Republican presidential primary, when Trump repeatedly attacked Jeb Bush and mocked their mother, former first lady Barbara Bush.
Former President George W. Bush has maintained friendly relationships with Democratic former presidents in his post-presidency, most recently attending the opening of former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Chicago in June.
On the opposing side of the Texas Senate race, Trump-linked MAGA Inc. has poured $10 million into Ken Paxton’s campaign, signaling the national stakes attached to the outcome of this contest.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, representatives for Neil Bush, and the Paxton campaign for comment, but no responses were received ahead of publication.
