George P. Bush Running for Office in Texas

George P. Bush is running for the office of Texas land commissioner in 2014, the fourth generation of the Bush family to enter the political arena. It could be a stepping stone to a higher office and a crucial infusion of Latino blood into the Republican party, say analysts. 

George P. Bush is running for the office of Texas land commissioner in 2014, the fourth generation of the Bush family to enter the political arena.

Bush is the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and nephew of former President George W. Bush. His great grandfather, Prescott Sheldon Bush, was a senator from Connecticut.

The Bush family penchant for political office may be a boon, but the Hispanic heritage from his mother’s side may his greatest advantage.

Mark Jones, a political analyst at Rice University in Houston, told Reuters the move could be a stepping stone to a higher office, and that Bush has a great advantage in politics: “He has all the advantages of the Bush name and the access that it provides, and he also has the unique advantage of being Hispanic.”

“He is the ideal person to help the Texas Republican party, which badly needs to reach out to Hispanic voters if it wants to maintain its majority in the state of Texas,” Jones said.

Joshua Treviño, a Republican policy analyst, agrees that Bush likely has his sights set on a bigger political role in the future.

“In South Texas especially, I think there are increasing numbers of the conservative Democratic base which are slowly changing to the Republican party,” Treviño told NBC Latino. “Many of these Latinos feel culturally abandoned by the Democrats, like representative Aaron Peña, a pro-gun, pro-life former Democrat.”

Treviño lauded the recent Republican move to include a guest worker program in its political platform as another step toward welcoming the Latino community.

Bush is currently a partner in an investment firm. He has worked as a lawyer, and he has also served in the Navy, including a six-month deployment in Afghanistan. When in Afghanistan, he was given a pseudonym so those serving with him did not know he was a Bush, according to the Washington Post.

In a video posted on Facebook, Bush says his experience with the Navy and his experience as a high school teacher have laid the groundwork for his future in public office.

He does not reference his relationship with the former presidents, but he does say his grandmother, the former First Lady Barbara Bush, taught him to value public service.