George P. Bush

George Prescott Bush (born April 24, 1976)[1] is an American corporate lawyer, former U.S. Navy Reserve officer, real estate investor, and politician who serves as the Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.[2]

George P. Bush
Bush in 2019
28th Land Commissioner of Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2015
Governor	Rick Perry Greg Abbott
Preceded by	Jerry E. Patterson
Personal details
Born	George Prescott Bush April 24, 1976 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Amanda Williams ​ (m. after 2004)​
Children	2
Parents	Jeb Bush (father) Columba Bush (mother)
Relatives	Bush family
Education	Rice University (BA) University of Texas at Austin (JD)
Website	Campaign website
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	2007–2017
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan
Awards	Joint Service Commendation Medal

A fourth-generation elected official as a member of the Bush family, he is the eldest child of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a nephew of the 43rd President George W. Bush, and a grandson of the 41st President George H. W. Bush. His middle name is taken from his great-grandfather, former U.S. Senator Prescott Bush.[2]

Early life and education

Bush was born in Houston, Texas, to Jeb and Columba Bush (née Garnica Gallo). Bush has two siblings: younger sister Noelle Lucila Bush and younger brother John Ellis Bush, Jr.[3][4] Bush attended Gulliver Preparatory School in the Miami area.

In 1994, Bush was arrested for burglary of his former girlfriend's home in the Killian area of Miami, Florida, but not charged.[5][6] He graduated from Rice University and then attended law school at University of Texas School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2003.[2] Like his grandfather and uncle (both at Yale), Bush was a freshman walk-on to the baseball team at Rice University, but left the team by his sophomore year.[7] Bush played quarterback for the Jones College intramural football team.[8] He was also featured in People Magazine's top 100 Bachelors in 2000.[9]

Career

In 1998, Bush became a public high school teacher in Homestead, Florida.[10] He later left this position to go to law school in Texas.[11]

After law school, he clerked for U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Sidney A. Fitzwater.[12]

Bush managed St. Augustine Partners, an energy and technology-focused investment firm in Fort Worth, Texas.[13] Previously, he co-founded Pennybacker Capital, LLC, a real estate private equity firm in Austin, Texas. The firm was originally named N3 Capital, and headquartered in Fort Worth.[14] Bush left Pennybacker Capital in 2012. Before entering the real estate investment business, he practiced corporate and securities law in Dallas with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP. In 2005, Bush was selected as one of Texas Monthly's "Rising Stars" for his work with Akin Gump.[15]

Bush was the national co-chair of Maverick PAC, a national political action committee dedicated to engaging the next generation of Republican voters.[16] Bush was also a co-founder and on the board of directors of Hispanic Republicans of Texas, a political action committee whose goal is to elect Republican political candidates of Hispanic heritage to office in Texas.[17][18]

Bush was the Tarrant County chairman for Uplift Education—a Dallas-based public charter network focused on closing the achievement gap in inner-city public schools.[2]

Military service

On March 21, 2007, the United States Navy Reserve announced the selection of Bush for training as an intelligence officer through the direct commission officer program, a Navy initiative whereby applicants in specialized civilian fields forgo the typical prerequisites of a commission, such as the Naval Academy, NROTC or OCS, and – instead – attend three weeks of Direct Commissioned Officer Indoctrination Course (DCOIC)[19] classes on subjects such as naval history, customs and courtesies, followed by online classes. Bush told The Politico that attending the October 2006 launch of the aircraft carrier named for his grandfather – the USS George H.W. Bush – inspired him to join the service. He also called the death of Pat Tillman, the NFL player and Army Ranger who was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004, "a wake-up call".[20][21] Bush served in Operation Enduring Freedom for eight months and returned to the United States in 2011.[2][22][23] During that deployment, he was given a different name for security purposes. Not even those he was serving alongside knew his real identity.[24] Bush left the U.S. Navy Reserve on May 9, 2017, at the rank of Lieutenant.[25][26]

Political activity

Bush in 1992

At the age of 12, Bush spoke before the 1988 Republican National Convention, which nominated his grandfather. He also spoke at the 1992 convention on the occasion of George H. W. Bush's renomination. He campaigned for his uncle, George W. Bush, during the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns.[2] In his speeches he stated support for his uncle's position in favor of comprehensive immigration reform.

He has expressed his opinion on some issues. In August 2004, during a trip to Mexico sponsored by the group Republicans Abroad, he called Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez a dictator[27] and criticized the U.S. Border Patrol's use of guns which fire plastic pellets packed with chili powder. Bush was quoted as telling Mexican media, "If there has been American approval for this policy, that is reprehensible. It's kind of barbarous." He attributed the gun usage to "some local INS guy who's trying to be tough, act macho", although it is an agency policy.[9]

When asked in 2003 about whether he planned to run for office himself, Bush replied that his grandmother, Barbara Bush, had advised that anyone thinking about entering politics should distinguish himself in some other field first: "Make a name for yourself, have a family, marry someone great, have some kids, buy a house, pay taxes, and do the things everyone also does instead of just running out and saying, 'Hey, I'm the nephew of or the son of or the grandson of...'"[28]

Bush criticized Florida Governor Charlie Crist (in office 2007–2011) for accepting money from the 2009 stimulus package, calling for a return to fiscal conservatism.[29] In January 2010, he endorsed Marco Rubio, Crist's opponent for the United States Senate.[30]

Bush served as a member of several diplomacy missions, including one to Nicaragua for the second peaceful transfer of power in that country, and one to Brazil for the Pan American Games in 2007. He also joined two US Congressional delegations, one to Saudi Arabia during the Arab Spring of 2011 and one to Turkey in 2012 at the time of the civil war in neighboring Syria.[31]

As of 2012 he was the deputy finance chairman of the Republican Party of Texas.[32]

He was ranked one of "Newsmax's 50 Most Influential Latino Republicans" in 2016.[33] His father ran in the 2016 Republican presidential race, but later dropped out. After his father's exit from the race, Bush campaigned for Donald Trump as chairman of the Texas Republican Party's effort on behalf of Trump. Most of the remainder of Bush's family refused to campaign for Trump.[34]

Texas Land Commissioner

2014 election

Bush announced in September 2012 his intention to run for office, saying that he was considering one of several state offices. Two months later he filed papers required to run for state office in Texas.[35] The same month, his father, Jeb Bush, emailed donors requesting that they support him in his 2014 bid for Texas Land Commissioner.[36][37]

In January 2013, Bush filed a campaign finance report stating he had received about $1.3 million in campaign contributions.[38] In March 2013, Bush filed to run for Texas Land Commissioner.[38][39] The main role of the Land Office is negotiating and enforcing leases for mineral rights on millions of acres of land owned by the State of Texas.[40]

As of June  2013, Bush had raised $3.3 million even though no Democratic candidate had emerged for land commissioner.[2] On November 19, 2013, he officially filed the papers to run for Texas land commissioner.[41]

Outgoing Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the 2014 Republican primary.[42][43] In the same primary, Bush easily triumphed over his only opponent, David Watts of Gilmer in Upshur County. The tabulation was 934,571 votes (73 percent) to 345,565 (27 percent).[42][44]

In the November 4 general election, Bush faced Democrat John Cook, a former mayor of El Paso.[45] Bush won 61% of the vote, riding a nationwide Republican wave in the midterms.[46] He is the only Bush to win his first election.[47] He received a majority of the Hispanic vote in his general election race.[48]

2018 election

On June 19, 2017, Bush announced he would run for re-election to the Texas Land Commissioner position, focusing on veteran issues, protection for the Gulf Coast from future disasters, continue to renovate the Alamo, and financing Texas children's education.[34] As of January 2017 he had about $3.1 million in campaign cash for his re-election campaign.[34] Bush won the March 6, 2018, Republican primary with nearly 58% of the vote, defeating three other candidates including Jerry E. Patterson, the previous land commissioner.[49] Bush handily kept his Commissioner position as he won with a victory margin by over 10 percent, defeating Democrat Miguel Suazo and Libertarian Matt Pina in the November 6, 2018, general election. Bush received 53.68% of the vote to Suazo's 43.19% vote total.[50][51][52] Aside from governor Greg Abbott, he was the only statewide incumbent in Texas to win by double digits in 2018.

Tenure

Bush assumed office on January 2, 2015.[53]

Bush welcomes President Donald Trump to the International Union of Operating Engineers International Training and Education Center in Crosby, Texas on April 10, 2019

Bush has also managed an ongoing $450-million remodel of the Alamo and surrounding plaza in San Antonio.[34] In May 2015, as Texas land commissioner, Bush organized fundraising for future development of the San Antonio historic site, The Alamo.[54][55] British singer Phil Collins donated various Alamo-related artifacts to the State of Texas, with the stipulation that the State of Texas build a facility to hold the artifacts within a seven-year period.[54][55] The Texas state legislature has agreed to a one-time infusion of $25 million to Bush's General Land Office to re-develop the Alamo site, and the city of San Antonio has agreed to provide $1 million for the re-development.[55]

In February 2016, the League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 12 in Laredo, Texas, announced that Bush and José Antonio Meade Kuribreña, the head of the Mexican ministry of social development, would both receive the titles of "Señor Internacional", a designation used since 1976 to honor distinguished figures in the border region as part of the annual Washington's Birthday Celebration.[56]

Bush dismissed some one hundred land commission employees hired under the preceding Commissioner Jerry Patterson. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Bush paid almost $1 million in taxpayer funds to encourage the dismissed personnel not to file suit against either him or the agency. He kept at least forty persons on the payroll for up to five months after terminating their employment; they agreed in writing not to sue.[57]

In 2016, the office began a multi-year study on the flood effects of the Houston area and Texas coast.[58]

In June 2020, amid reports that George W. Bush and Jeb Bush would not support Trump's re-election,[59] George P. Bush announced his full support for Trump, saying "Trump is the only thing standing between America and socialism."[59][60] The younger Bush supported Trump in 2016, and Trump supported Bush in his re-election for land commissioner in 2018.[59]

On October 25, 2020, Bush issued a press release indicating that he is considering running for Texas Attorney General in 2022 against the incumbent Ken Paxton.[61]

Personal life

Bush married a law school classmate, Amanda L. Williams (born 1979), on August 7, 2004, in Kennebunkport, Maine. The couple married almost on the same day as his great-grandfather (August 6, 1921), Senator Prescott Bush, and great-grandmother Dorothy Bush.[62][63] Williams is a media law attorney at the firm Jackson Walker LLP in Fort Worth, Texas.[36][64][65] The couple has two sons.[2][66]

Electoral history

Texas Land Commissioner Election, 2018
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	George P. Bush	4,414,779	53.7
Democratic	Miguel Suazo	3,542,587	43.1
Libertarian	Matt Piña	257,532	3.1

2018 Texas General Land Commissioner Republican Primary Election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	George P. Bush (Incumbent)	859,209	58.2
	Republican	Jerry Patterson	438,346	29.7
	Republican	Davey Edwards	101,074	6.8
	Republican	Rick Range	77,936	5.3

Texas Land Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 2014
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	George P. Bush	937,987	73.00
Republican	David Watts	346,949	27.00

Texas Land Commissioner Election, 2014
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
Republican	George P. Bush	2,827,584	60.68
Democratic	John Cook	1,645,828	35.32
Libertarian	Justin Knight	126,422	2.71
Green	Valerie Alessi	60,116	1.29

References

1. "Texas Births, 1926–1995". Familytreelegends.com. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
2. Associated Press. George P. Bush starts small, shuns idea his name, Hispanic heritage can save GOP in Texas, The Washington Post, July 20, 2013.
3. Parker, Ashley (January 5, 2016). "Jeb Bush Drops Guard to Share Family Account of Addiction". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
4. "Gorgeous George". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
5. Fenton, Ben (August 8, 2000). "George P 'held on burglary charge at 18'". Retrieved December 5, 2018 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
6. "From A Nut To Some Soup". The Smoking Gun. July 1, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
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8. Thompson, Angie (January 6, 2007). "George P. Bush to speak for MLK Day". Tifton Gazette. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
9. Dan Glaister (August 31, 2004). "He's young, good looking, and Hispanic – could he be the next George Bush in the White House?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
10. Guevara-Castro, Lillian (May 5, 1999). "Florida's First Lady: Columba Bush settles into life in the governor's mansion". Ocala Star-Banner. Ocala, FL. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
11. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/e98/e2099.htm USA Today
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33. "Newsmax's 50 Most Influential Latino Republicans". Newsmax.com. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
34. Wissert, Will (June 19, 2017). "George P Bush seeks re-election as Texas land commissioner". New York City: Star Tribune Media Company. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
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53. http://www.glo.texas.gov/ General Land Office of Texas
54. McCrimmon, Ryan (May 18, 2015). "George P. Bush Headlines Red Carpet Alamo Event". The Texas Tribune. Austin, TX. Retrieved May 28, 2015. The premiere doubled as a fundraiser for the Alamo Endowment, an organization working with the Texas General Land Office to maintain and operate the Alamo complex. The state recently took over management of the Texas shrine after ending its longstanding partnership with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
55. Batheja, Aman (May 28, 2015). "Budget Deal Includes $25 Million Boost for Alamo". The Texas Tribune. Austin, TX. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
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External links

• George P. Bush for Texas Land Commissioner
• Texas General Land Office
• Appearances on C-SPAN