George P. Bush is expected to enter the 2022 race for Texas attorney general on Wednesday, mounting a Republican primary challenge to scandal-plagued incumbent Ken Paxton.
The marquee intraparty battle pits a scion of the Bush family political dynasty against a loyal ally of former President Donald Trump, and Republican insiders in Texas are predicting a bitter, divisive campaign. But the contest could defy convention suggested by that narrative. Bush, elected twice statewide as commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, is a staunch conservative who also is closely aligned with Trump — unlike the more recognized members of his family.
Bush in late May tweeted a picture of himself on the phone with Trump, suggesting that the two were discussing his plans to seek higher office.
“Great to speak with President Trump,” he tweeted. “I appreciate the words of encouragement and support. Big things coming soon.”
The former president later issued a statement saying that he is fond of Bush and Paxton, signaling his endorsement was up for grabs.
“I’ll be making my endorsement and recommendation to the great people of Texas in the not-so-distant future,” Trump said.
On Friday, Bush spokeswoman Karina Erickson confirmed that Bush would reveal his future political plans on Wednesday but declined to say which office the 43-year-old land commissioner would run for in the midterm elections or whether he would run for anything at all.
“If he does decide for higher office, it would be because he actually believes he can make changes for good government and government accountability,” she said.
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Bush is the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a Trump rival in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. He is the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, who died in 2018, and the nephew of former Texas governor and President George W. Bush. Because Trump and the elder Bushes are constantly at odds, some assume George P. Bush might have a fraught relationship with the most recent former president, positioning Paxton for his endorsement.
After all, Paxton has echoed Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen and spearheaded a lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. Meanwhile, Trump has never ceased disparaging Bush’s father and uncle. But the younger Bush has always been on good terms with the former president. He endorsed Trump in 2016 and was chairman of his Texas campaign, raising him $1.5 million.
Bush was enthusiastically behind Trump again four years later. His continued backing for the former president has prompted ridicule from Republicans opposed to Trump, who accuse him of being shamelessly political.
Meanwhile, Paxton is under investigation by the FBI, a matter that prompted members of his staff to resign. Bush allies believe the ethical cloud around Paxton has created an opening to oust him in the primary. The timing fits with Bush’s desire to exit the land office after two terms and move up — and challenging the state’s other two top Republicans, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, was out of the question.
Paxton begins the race with a sizable advantage over Bush. His relationship with Republican primary voters is strong. Thus far, they are simply unshaken by the allegations of corruption against Paxton, appreciative of his unwavering support for Trump.
The Bush team is readying for Paxton to attack the land commissioner as an entitled legacy politician who is running on his famous last name, in league with the GOP establishment, and out of touch with the grassroots. But Republicans who know Bush personally and have followed his career are confident the attacks will not stick. It’s simply not true, they say, and Bush has spent years traveling Texas and talking to voters.
In 2018, Bush received more votes than any other Republican on the ballot except for Abbott.
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“The narrative around him is, here’s a guy who was handed everything. He inherited a name, walked into the state, and got elected,” said Jay Zeidman, a Republican donor in Houston who has been close friends with Bush for more than a decade. “I saw this guy log tens of thousands of hours in his car traveling the state to meet with Texas voters. He is somebody who has earned, and continues to earn, their trust and respect.”
