Donovan De La Garza, 13, was all smiles in front of a hand-painted
welcome sign at the Pharr Boys & Girls Club as he declared it "a great honor"
to greet guest George P. Bush before his peers.
Bush -- the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, grandson of former
President George H.W. Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush --
toured classrooms and recreation areas at the club Monday, getting information
on its programs and challenges.
"Keep up the good work and try to stay out of trouble," he told a crowd
of youngsters.
The 36-year-old attorney and real estate developer -- widely considered a
top up-and-comer in the Republican Party -- stopped in the Rio Grande Valley
on Monday as part of a national effort to woo Hispanic voters into going red.
Son to a Mexican-born mother, George P. Bush co-founded the Hispanic
Republicans of Texas.
What's his message here?
"More than anything, that there is a Republican Party and we're here
asking for votes," he said.
Pharr City Commissioner Jimmy Garza, his wife Adrienne Pena-Garza and her
father, state Rep. Aaron Pena, R-Edinburg, invited George P. Bush to the
Valley to learn more about the region, and Pharr in particular.
He made stops in Harlingen and McAllen before heading to Pharr, where he
heard about operations at the Boys & Girls Club at 413 E. Clark St. and scoped
out the new Boys & Girls Club facility under construction near Liberty Middle
School.
At the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, Customs and Border Protection
agents advised George P. Bush about the port's produce imports and new
inspection facilities.
The day ended with a fundraising dinner at the Garzas' home for the
Hispanic Republicans of Texas.
"As you can see, there are conservatives down here," said Kara Sands, who
helped organize the event for the group. "There's such a perception that
Republicans are mean and hate people, and that's not it at all. It's time to
turn Hidalgo County red."
After his various stops in the area, George P. Bush called himself most
struck by the interdependence among the communities and regional approach to
infrastructure and projects. He emphasized the Valley's trade importance to
the Texas economy.
"This is where the rubber meets the road as far as commerce," he said.
Regarding speculation about him running for office, George P. Bush said
he had made no final decisions yet.
"After Election Day we'll see where it leads -- I've been encouraged to
run for office in 2014," he said. "I'm more drawn to state government, issues
with education."
Distributed by MCT Information Services
