George P Bush's struggle in Texas may signal end of 70-year political dynasty

The half-Hispanic grandson and nephew of presidents faces a tough fight in a state where his surname is no longer an asset

George P Bush is the young, half-Hispanic grandson of the 41st president, nephew of the 43rd and son of a former Florida governor.

When he was elected Texas land commissioner four years ago, that background gave him a significant advantage as a fledgling Republican candidate seemingly on a fast track to stardom. Now, with conservative politics turned on its head by Trumpism, Bush is facing a tough primary election that threatens to doom his political career – and with it, bring to a close his family’s 70-year political dynasty.

The land commissioner job – which manages state-owned land – was perceived to be a stepping stone to higher office, but the evisceration of his father, Jeb, in the 2016 Republican presidential primary showed that as it lurched to the right and was seduced by sound and fury, the GOP was no longer in the market for a quiet moderate named Bush.

Though he has far more campaign cash than his rivals and has reportedly spent $2m in the past month, Bush has run an anaemic – one might say “low-energy” – campaign, with scant media availability and no events listed on his website. He is still the favourite, but if he fails to get above 50% of the vote on 6 March – when Texas holds the country’s first primaries ahead of the 2018 midterms – he will face a potentially dangerous runoff.

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