Barbara Bush endorses Kamala Harris’ campaign and breaks election silence

The daughter of former US President George W. Bush, Barbara Pierce Bush, expressed her support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Last weekend, Bush campaigned for the Democratic presidential candidate in Pennsylvania and expressed his desire to see Harris elected as the first black woman president of the United States.

“It was inspiring to join friends and meet voters with the Harris-Walz campaign in Pennsylvania this weekend,” the 42-year-old said. PEOPLE Tuesday, October 29. “I hope they will move our country forward and protect women’s rights.”

Barbara’s father, who was a Republican, served as president from 2001 to 2009, but her mother, former first lady Laura Bush, occasionally strayed from traditional party lines.

In 2010, Laura Bush publicly supported same-sex marriage and abortion rights and stated that abortion should “remain legal, because I think it’s important to people, for medical reasons and for other reasons.”

Barbara Bush has also spoken out on women’s issues. In March 2017, she advocated for Planned Parenthood and spoke at a fundraiser for the organization. “I’m proud to support Planned Parenthood not only because women, regardless of where they come from, deserve to live dignified and healthy lives,” she said at the event, according to The Texas Tribune. “We know that when women are healthy, their families and their children are also healthier.”

Although Barbara has identified as an independent since 2010, her support for Harris now reflects a clear position in this election.

Her parents have not commented publicly on the 2024 race, but former Vice President Dick Cheney, who previously served under George W. Bush, recently announced his support for Harris.

Cheney’s daughter, who is former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, also had Harris agreed and campaigned with it.

Harris also received support from Susan Ford Bales, daughter of the late President Gerald Ford, who condemned the divisive state of politics in an Oct. 21 statement.

“America cannot regress back to a divisive paradigm of loathing each other and contempt for our Constitution,” Bales wrote, referring to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as a moment not to be repeated.

Barbara Bush is a nonprofit leader and author with a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University and co-founded Global Health Corps in 2009, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing global health issues. She also co-authored a 2017 memoir with her twin sister, Jenna Bush Hager.

ALSO READ: Bad Bunny Stands Up For Kamala Harris After Comedian’s Offensive Remarks At Trump Rally

In a recent interview, Jenna, co-host of NBC’s Today with Hoda & Jenna, praised Barbara’s influence on her own life, according to a PEOPLE report. “I don’t think I would have this job. I don’t know (that) I would have started this book club,” Jenna said. “She makes me feel brave and empowered because she was my first audience.”