Posted on 05/24/2022 8:56:18 AM PDT by RandFan
LUBBOCK, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected to fend off a challenge on Tuesday from fellow Republican George P. Bush in a primary run-off election that has pitted a Trump ally against the scion of two former U.S. presidents.
Paxton has consistently led in polling in his re-election bid for a third term, though surveys have tightened in recent weeks. He beat out Bush, the state's land commissioner, for former President Donald Trump's endorsement, despite a longstanding securities fraud indictment and other legal woes.
The Bush family name was once all-powerful in Texas politics. George P. Bush is the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and the nephew and grandson of former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush.
But the younger Bush's underdog status highlights a remarkable shift within the state's Republican Party over the past decade, with the center of power moving from the business-friendly wing squarely into the social conservatives' camp.
That largely explains Paxton's appeal even amid his 2015 indictment on securities fraud that's still playing out in the courts, and reports that he is under an FBI investigation after four former staffers in the attorney general's office made accusations of bribery and abuse of office.
Paxton has maintained his innocence in the securities fraud case. His office did not respond to requests for comment about that case or the reported FBI probe. The FBI declined to comment.
Bush has hammered away on the allegations against Paxton. Bush told Texas Public Radio earlier this month that his campaign was about "making sure we don't have indicted felons serving at the top of the chain of command of our law enforcement officials here in Texas."
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Hopefully Paxton destroys P. Bush.
Freeper Texans: Please tell me you voted for Ken....
Voted early for Paxton. I loathe George P.
Go Paxton!
Time for ALL the Bush’s to get out of politics...
George P...is just like all the rest of them...FRAUDS, LIARS, AND BUTT KISSERS...
P bush: Make Texas Mexico,Again.
Good riddance to Yeb!’s Mexican son.
I’m fed up with the shrub dynasty.
Of course. We voted last week and Paxton will win. I’m friends with someone on his staff and he is way ahead in the polls. Bush had no shot.
Paxton is the man! Common sense conservative. He came out at the beginning of the Scamdemic roasting the “essential businesses only” stay open BS. And said (paraphrasing) The government is destroying lives by closing business. This is much worse than catching Covid.
Interesting how the Bush’s just keep coming back.
What makes George P competitive at all? Simply - his name and the family network
The Bush’s are like Sky-net - they just keep sending terminators that can’t be killed.
Same here.
Voted for Paxton.
Yeah, I like Paxton.
An indictment is not a conviction. What is an “indicted felon”?
Freeper Texans: Please tell me you voted for Ken....
I don’t believe for one minute about Paxton being dirty. I’ll vote for him over “P” any day, any time......make that anyone who ever runs against him. GO PAXTON!
Yes, voted for Paxton.
The Bush family doesn’t care about Texas or America. It’s time to finally end their reign. Voted Pax this a.m.
To quote Jesse Jackson, “Stay out da bushes!!”
Two votes for Ken Paxton here, hoping to end bush dynasty today.
If the runoff were against anyone but George P. Bush, I would have voted against Paxton.
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