Former President George W. Bush’s brother, Neil Bush, revealed on Tuesday that he crossed party lines to vote for Democrat James Talarico in the Texas Senate race while landing a stinging rebuke of Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton and President Donald Trump.

Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush, announced via Facebook that he had cast his early ballot for Talarico, despite spending most of his life as a Republican.

“I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate,” Bush wrote on Facebook, arguing that character “matters more than party affiliation.”

“I have been deeply troubled by Paxton’s conduct as Texas Attorney General, particularly his decision to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in other states in an effort to help Donald Trump remain in power,” he wrote. “I believe that effort was an affront to our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power. My concerns about his judgment and conduct are hardly mine alone. He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House, although subsequently acquitted by the Texas Senate.”Paxton filed a Supreme Court lawsuit in December 2020 seeking to invalidate election results in four battleground states won by former President Joe Biden. The court rejected the effort.

Bush then slammed Trump, saying, “More broadly, I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party. I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable.”He continued to argue his vote was “about much more than opposition” to Paxton, praising Talarico, whom he said he has never met, for how the state lawmaker discusses divisive issues.

“He speaks with respect, seeks common ground, and seems genuinely interested in bringing people together rather than driving them apart,” Bush wrote. “His faith appears to be a deeply rooted source of humility, compassion, and conviction rather than a political weapon.

I see in him the qualities I admire most in public servants: integrity, civility, humility, and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees. My impression is that he is a principled, pragmatic leader who understands that public office is a responsibility to serve, not an entitlement to power.”

Closing his lengthy post, Bush added: “I have been a Republican for most of my life, and I still believe deeply in many traditional Republican principles. But character matters more than party affiliation. Our democracy depends on leaders who respect our institutions, tell the truth, accept accountability, and seek to unite rather than divide.”“Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country. More importantly, I voted for the kind of character and leadership I hope will help heal it,” he said.

The endorsement adds another prominent member of the Bush dynasty to Talarico’s orbit. George W. Bush’s daughter Barbara Bush donated $2,500 in September to Lone Star Rising PAC, the major outside group supporting the Democrat, according to federal campaign finance records.

The family crossover comes as Talarico and Paxton battle in an unusually competitive Texas contest. A University of Texas poll released last week put Talarico ahead 50% to 47%.