Kamala Harris Gets First Endorsement From George W. Bush’s Family

Vice President Kamala Harris has received her first endorsement from one of the nation’s most dynastic Republican families.

Barbara Pierce Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and granddaughter of former President George H.W. Bush, spent the weekend stumping for Harris in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania.

“It was inspiring to join friends and meet voters with the Harris-Walz campaign in Pennsylvania this weekend,” the 42-year-old mother told People on Tuesday. “I’m hopeful they’ll move our country forward and protect women’s rights.”

Last month, a spokesperson for George and Laura Bush said the couple wouldn’t endorse a candidate in the 2024 election or reveal how they would vote. In 2016, they reportedly voted for “None of the Above for President.”

In 2021, the former president revealed he voted for his former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. George H.W. Bush confirmed he voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Since 2010, Barbara, a nonprofit leader and mother of two, has been described as an independent, telling people she does not identify with either political party. But much like her mother, former first lady Laura Bush, Barbara has been outspoken on her abortion views.

In 2017, Barbara rallied for Planned Parenthood, calling the organization “a one-stop-shop for everything that has to do with women’s health and all social problems that don’t have to do with women’s health.”

Abortion rights have emerged as a major voting issue in this year’s election. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Democrats have successfully campaigned on protecting these rights while portraying Republicans as seeking an all-out federal pan on the procedure.

Although she is the first in her family to back Harris, she is not the only one from her father’s political circle. Dick Cheney, who served as George’s vice president for eight years, shocked the public when he said he would vote for Harris last month. He joined over 200 former Bush staffers who endorsed Harris’ bid. His daughter, former Representative Liz Cheney, endorsed Harris and campaigned with the Democratic nominee.

Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of former President Gerald Ford, also backed the Democratic ticket last week, saying, “Vice President Harris and I likely disagree on some policy matters, but her integrity and commitment to those same principles that guided Dad have led me to conclude that Kamala Harris should be elected 47th President of the United States.”