With a little more than two weeks before the March 1 primary in Texas, Jeb Bush picked up the endorsements from the editorial boards at the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.
The Houston Chronicle, the hometown newspaper for Sen. Ted Cruz, urged Texans not to vote for Donald Trump or the state’s junior senator, saying, “either man would be disastrous for the Republican Party, disastrous for the nation.” In fact, the editorial goes to great lengths to express strong disapproval of Cruz.
“Fortunately, a former Florida governor with Texas ties offers Republican voters a much better choice,” the editorial reads. It lists what the board considers his conservative credentials and mentions Bush’s ties to the state, including his brother, former President George W. Bush, who previously served as governor of Texas. Jeb Bush himself was born in Midland, grew up in Houston, and graduated from the University of Texas.
“It’s our hope that Republican primary voters give Jeb Bush a second look. He may not be a great candidate, but he would be a great nominee – and a capable president,” the editorial concludes.
Both endorsements come the same day that the Dallas Morning News backed Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the nomination. With 155 delegates at stake, Texas will be a critical state on March 1, when the Lone Star State and 12 other states hold nominating contests.
The San Antonio Express-News’ editorial board writes that Bush “is not the flashiest candidate” and early on seemed “overshadowed by the explosive, confrontational personalities of other presidential contenders.”
But the paper describes him as a “thoughtful, decent and inclusive leader” who “is best prepared to make the big decisions that will be required of the next president of the United States.”
The editorial board acknowledges that Cruz has a home field advantage but says “the freshman senator has demonstrated a frightening willingness to push the American economy to the brink of disaster to pursue his ideological agenda” and “lacks the temperament to be president.”
