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Texas Official George P. Bush Draws Unlikely Primary Challenge


FILE - George Prescott Bush speaks during a news conference in Mexico City, Aug. 21, 2004, to try to persuade American registered voters living in Mexico to support his uncle, George W. Bush, in the presidential election. George P. Bush is now Texas land
FILE - George Prescott Bush speaks during a news conference in Mexico City, Aug. 21, 2004, to try to persuade American registered voters living in Mexico to support his uncle, George W. Bush, in the presidential election. George P. Bush is now Texas land

Former Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is making the unusual move of running again for his old office against his successor and fellow Republican George P. Bush.

Patterson said Friday that he was entering the Republican primary. He ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2014 and endorsed Bush for land commissioner that year.

But Patterson has since criticized Bush's cutting hundreds of jobs at the powerful agency and his leading of a $450 million Alamo revamp that included restoring historical structures, closing streets and building a new museum. Patterson has joined conservative activists in worrying that the 1836 Battle of the Alamo will be marginalized by "political correctness," with less desirable aspects of participants' history "sanitized."

Bush's grandfather and uncle are former presidents. His dad, Jeb Bush, ran unsuccessfully for president last year.

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