Rep. Lizzie Fletcher
A number of West Houston political insiders are abuzz at the prospect that Pierce Bush, the Houston-based CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star and member of the storied Bush family, might run for the Congressional seat currently occupied by Democratic U.S. Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher.
The 7th Congressional District has significant history in the Bush family: It’s the seat Pierce Bush’s grandfather, the late President George H.W. Bush, represented in the late 1960s.
“Over the past few months, I have been flattered by many people in Houston who have reached out and encouraged me to run for this seat,” Pierce Bush said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “I am currently putting my heart and soul into my role as CEO of the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agency in the country.
“With my awesome staff team, our volunteers, and donors, we are empowering thousands of kids in Texas to achieve their full potential in life through our outcomes achieving mission,” he added. “If I were to run for this office, or any other office, I would certainly run as a big tent candidate focused on discussing the important matters. Together, we can stand for real opportunity for the many who need it.”
It’s a nice statement, and it sounds sincere, but let’s face it, if you are running as a Republican in 2020, you are running with Donald Trump as your running mate. There’s no way around it. Trump himself would have it no other way, and for that matter neither would every other elected Republican in Texas. There may come a time when a Pierce Bush could run as a Republican while talking about “big tents” and “discussing important matters”. That time is not 2020.
There is already a high-profile Republican candidate in the race: Wesley Hunt announced his challenge to Fletcher earlier this month. A West Point graduate, Hunt is politically connected locally and nationally. Upon his entrance into the race, U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy highlighted Hunt’s candidacy in a memo to donors. Former Bellaire Mayor Cindy Siegel announced her run earlier this month as well.
See here for more on Hunt. Both Wesley Hunt and Cindy Siegel sound like they’d be decent candidates, in another time and without the stink of Trump on them. Doesn’t mean they couldn’t win in 2020 anyway – it will surely be a close race, though Rep. Fletcher’s five point win in 2018 well outpaced all the public polls – but I’m hard pressed to imagine a scenario where 2022, with (gods willing) a Democratic President in office and after the Lege does its thing in redistricting, wouldn’t be far more inviting.
He would run as a Trump Republican pandering to the hate mongers, the racists, and the bigots.
Has he spoken out as to what Trump has been doing of course not, like his cousin P Bush, he will do and say anything, they have no principles.
No more Bushes. Haven’t they done enough to ruin this country already?
Dynasty politics are the worst.
Ughhhhh. Not a Bush fan.
“A number of West Houston political insiders are abuzz”??????
I have yet to encounter anyone abuzz about this within the GOP grassroots activists, donors, precinct chairs, nor have I ever seen this candidate out in the community. While I have a positive attitude about the Bush family, and enthusiastically have supported all from George H.W. Bush to the present, I have initial doubts about this Bush as a viable candidate in the primary, much less in the general election.
Manny, could you provide us all with some background or internet links to articles directly related to this potential candidate’s positions, or he a Trump boot licker solely because he’d run as a Republican ?
Anyone that runs as a Republican is a Trump ass kisser. There are exceptions, for instance Bill Weld.
When and if P runs we will see by the rhetoric he uses, because there is at least one other that is probably running in the Republican primary for that district.
A general rule to follow is that all Republicans are Trump ass kissers until they prove otherwise.
Of course he is white which makes him a racist member of the kkk. You left that out Manny.
Manny, so that means, ‘No, sorry, I don’t have any facts to support my assertions or claims‘ ? It appears you may have early onset SarahSandersItis.
You may be slowing becoming that which you despise…
Paul I was not aware that people of color used to wear the KKK hoods, do you know of any.
C.L. for someone that does not vote for a person of color because of his hair, you have an opinion that does not matter to me.
You have been listening to your Russian Cheeto and believing everything out of his mouth, why do you doubt me? The color of my skin?
Manny, I chose not to vote for Adrian Garcia because I did not believe he was all that effective as a HOU Councilman or as a HC Sheriff (especially when it came to running the Jail)… AND I’m not a fan of his coiffed hair. His skin color played no part in my decision making process.
I appreciate your concern over, and interest in, my voting practices, though.
For what it’s worth, the color of your skin plays no part in the skepticism I experience when I read your diatribe(s).
C.L. so you changed your reasoning now, how interesting. Why didn’t you say that before?
Forgot to mention Hidalgo, what about her?
Forgot to address why you don’t challenge the Russian Cheeto or many of his supporters which do much worse than what I claim to do? Seems to me that if you attack one party but not the other that makes you a supporter of the party not attacked. So why do you love the Russian Cheeto and his supporters so much?
I didn’t say I was sorry, I made a claim that is no less than what your god, Trump does all the time. But you never seem to mind his baseless claims and conspiracies, so why do my claims which have basis in fact bother you?