George P. Bush, the Texas land commissioner and member of the Bush family dynasty, will challenge Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for his job, he announced.
Bush is the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush. Former President George W. Bush is his uncle.
The younger Bush launched his campaign Wednesday evening at an event in downtown Austin, where he took aim at Paxton for his mounting legal troubles.
Paxton, who has served in the position for six years, is under indictment on securities fraud charges.
His legal troubles have only mounted since taking office, more recently coming under investigation over allegations from senior aides that he abused his office to help a wealthy donor.
The Texas AG has denied any wrongdoing.
“Enough is enough, Ken,” Bush said at his kickoff event, referring to Paxton. “You’ve brought way too much scandal and too little integrity to this office. And as a career politician for 20 years, it’s time for you to go.”
“We need an attorney general that’s above reproach, not under criminal indictment for securities fraud and not under FBI investigation for bribery and corruption,” he continued.
Bush made it clear he wouldn’t shy away from Paxton’s accused corruption on the campaign trail.
“We have a web of corruption and lies that affect one of the highest offices in our land and it’s time for a change.”
For his part, Paxton is not going down without a fight.
Following Bush’s campaign launch, Paxton campaign spokesman Ian Prior called the Texas attorney general “the tip of the spear” in defending former President Donald Trump’s policies in the Lone Star State and federally.
“Texans know Attorney General Paxton’s rock-solid conservative record. From defeating Joe Biden’s dangerous executive order halting deportations of illegal aliens, to his willingness to stand up for secure elections, Ken Paxton has been and will continue to be the tip of the spear in protecting President Trump’s America First principles.”
The Bush family has had a difficult relationship with their only GOP presidential successor since the 2015 launch of Trump’s political career.
When Trump entered the political arena, he found himself up against Jeb Bush, who was originally viewed as the GOP front-runner in the crowded 2016 field.
After he clinched the Republican nomination, none in the Bush family endorsed Trump, with the former commander-in-chief himself saying he chose “none of the above” when asked if he voted for Trump or Hillary Clinton. He declined to say whom he supported in 2020.
George P. Bush, however, said he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, and has embraced the 45th president and the Make America Great Again agenda.
Asked last week whom he would support in the Texas AG race, Trump said, “I like them both very much. I’ll be making my endorsement and recommendation to the great people of Texas in the not-so-distant future.”
