Neil Bush has been a Republican for most of his 71 years, which makes it a little awkward that his early ballot in the Texas Senate race went to a Democrat.
For a longtime Republican, the justification was oddly portable: “character matters more than party affiliation,” Bush wrote.
Neil Bush—brother of one President Bush & son of another President Bush—explains why he voted for @JamesTalarico.
In part: “My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character & principles I see in James Talarico.” https://t.co/SWgYf9w1bA
— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) October 21, 2026
He told readers of that post, according to CBS News, “I’ve never met James Talarico,” so this was a vote cast on reputation alone. HuffPost reports he called himself “enormously impressed” anyway. The People article on the post adds that he sees a candidate who “seeks common ground” and treats faith as a source of humility instead of a weapon.
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Paxton earned the cold shoulder on separate grounds. Bush objected to the attorney general’s push to challenge the 2020 results in other states, which he called “an affront to our democratic institutions.” The impeachment saga looms behind that too: the Texas House impeached Paxton, the state Senate acquitted him, and he branded the whole effort “illegal, unfounded, and unethical” back in 2023.
Bush kept aiming higher.
He blamed Donald Trump and his enablers for serious damage to the GOP and fretted over a culture where allegiance to one man eclipses allegiance to principle. Trump’s late endorsement helped Paxton knock out Sen. John Cornyn in the May runoff, where he took 63.8% of the vote.
Neil isn’t the only Bush in the Talarico column. His niece Barbara, George W.’s daughter, gave $2,500 to a pro-Talarico super PAC on Sept. 23, FEC records show. Her cousin George P. Bush has his own Paxton history, having lost a 2022 primary to him.
The defections reach beyond the family tree.
Dan Cogell, who led Paxton’s defense at the impeachment trial, has endorsed Talarico, while Paxton’s ex-wife, a state senator, urged a straight-party vote. The Houston Chronicle reported that neither campaign had answered its requests for comment.
All of this lands in a tight contest. A University of Texas poll last week put Talarico ahead 50% to 47%, and the RealClearPolling average has him at 48.5% to 46.3%. The same university’s June survey had Paxton up by a point. Talarico has accepted several debate invitations, and Paxton hasn’t committed to one.
Party leaders insist a crossover wave is wishful thinking. RNC chairman Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital this summer that Talarico’s coalition hopes were a “pipe dream.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
