Barbara Pierce Bush, daughter of former Republican President George W. Bush, has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election, marking a notable departure from her family’s longstanding Republican ties.
Bush spent time campaigning door-to-door for Harris in Pennsylvania’s politically purple regions north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, expressing she is “hopeful they’ll move our country forward and protect women’s rights.”
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) praised Bush’s endorsement, for “standing for truth, decency, and freedom.”
Bush’s support adds to a growing coalition of Republican-affiliated figures backing Harris. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who called Trump “a greater threat to our republic than any individual in our nation’s history,” has endorsed Harris along with his daughter Liz.
The endorsements extend beyond the Bush and Cheney families. Susan Ford Bales, daughter of former President Gerald Ford, Jimmy McCain, son of the late Senator John McCain, former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum, and former Trump administration officials including Anthony Scaramucci, Stephanie Grisham, and Olivia Troye have publicly backed Harris.
More than 200 former Republican staffers who worked for former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Senator Mitt Romney, and the late Senator John McCain have signed a letter supporting Harris. Additionally, 17 former staff members of President Ronald Reagan have endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket.
While Barbara Bush’s father, George Bush, has not endorsed any candidate in the election, the Bush family has had a complex relationship with the Republican party. Barbara’s grandmother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, previously expressed incomprehension at how women could vote for Trump, while her uncle Jeb Bush called him a “jerk” during the 2016 primary campaign.
Bush, who identifies as an independent, has previously broken with Republican party positions. She was the keynote speaker at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser in Texas in 2017. Her mother, former First Lady Laura Bush, diverged from Republican stances on issues like same-sex marriage and abortion rights, publicly breaking with the party’s position in 2010.
Barbara Bush is a nonprofit leader and author who co-founded Global Health Corps, an organization focused on global health issues. Her twin sister, Jenna Bush Hager, a host on NBC’s “Today Show,” has expressed support for Barbara’s political stance.