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After Mahon's retirement announcement, 31-year-old George Walker Bush quickly launched his own campaign for the seat. Bush's grandfather was the U.S. Senator [[Prescott Bush]] of [[Connecticut]].<ref>"Bush, Prescott Sheldon," ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present''</ref>  His father, President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], was a former Houston-area congressman, a one-time United States Ambassador to the [[United Nations]], chairman of the [[Republican Party|Republican National Committee]], director of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]], and United States Ambassador to [[China]]. At the CIA, the senior Bush had worked with Mahon, his former congressional colleague, even though the retiring appropriations committee chairman had lost much of his oversight over intelligence matters through changes in the congressional committee process.<ref>Central Intelligence Agency, "George Bush: Calm Between Storm", posted 2007: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/directors-of-central-intelligence-as-leaders-of-the-u-s-intelligence-community/chapter_7.htm</ref>  

After Mahon's retirement announcement, 31-year-old George Walker Bush quickly launched his own campaign for the seat. Bush's grandfather was the U.S. Senator [[Prescott Bush]] of [[Connecticut]].<ref>"Bush, Prescott Sheldon," ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present''</ref>  His father, President [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], was a former Houston-area congressman, a one-time United States Ambassador to the [[United Nations]], chairman of the [[Republican Party|Republican National Committee]], director of the [[Central Intelligence Agency]], and United States Ambassador to [[China]]. At the CIA, the senior Bush had worked with Mahon, his former congressional colleague, even though the retiring appropriations committee chairman had lost much of his oversight over intelligence matters through changes in the congressional committee process.<ref>Central Intelligence Agency, "George Bush: Calm Between Storm", posted 2007: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/directors-of-central-intelligence-as-leaders-of-the-u-s-intelligence-community/chapter_7.htm</ref>  

Like his father, the younger Bush drew the support of the Republican "establishment," with Reese in the role of the "populist" dissenter, akin to Ronald Reagan's challenge of Gerald Ford two years earlier for the party's presidential nomination. Reese had supported Reagan in that exchange in which the Californian ultimately secured all one hundred Texas delegates at the party's national convention held in the Kemper Arena in Kansas City.<ref>Reese, p. 137.</ref>

Like his father, the younger Bush drew the support of the Republican "establishment," with Reese in the role of the "populist" dissenter, akin to Ronald Reagan's challenge of Gerald Ford two years earlier for the party's presidential nomination. Reese had supported Reagan in that exchange in which the Californian ultimately secured all one hundred Texas delegates at the party's national convention held in the Kemper Arena in [[Kansas City]].<ref>Reese, p. 137.</ref>

Reese said that Bush's campaign literature which proclaimed him as having been "born July 6, 1946, and raised in Midland, Texas" was misleading because of Bush's birth in New Haven, Connecticut, and the Bush generational family's ties to East Coast Republicans.  Reese also questioned the membership of the senior George Bush in the [[Trilateral Commission]],<ref>Reese, p. 137.</ref> a group founded in 1973 with the goal of "a new international economic order."<ref>Trilateral Commission membership – 2008, Website: Augustreview.com, accessed November 11, 2010.</ref> He scolded "Junior Bush," as he called him despite the variation of middle names, of being a "[[Nelson Rockefeller|Rockefeller]]-type Republican" who had supported Gerald Ford in the 1976 nomination fight against Ronald Reagan.<ref>Reese, p. 137.</ref> The senior Bush, out of the country at the time of the Reagan-Ford rivalry, later expressed dismay at Reagan's involvement in the congressional primary: "I am not interesting in getting into an argument with Reagan. But I am surprised about what he is doing here, in my state. ... They are making a real effort to defeat George."<ref>Lois Romano and George Lardner, Jr., "Young Bush, a Political Natural Revs Up," ''[[The Washington Post]]'', July 29, 1999, A1.</ref>

Reese said that Bush's campaign literature which proclaimed him as having been "born July 6, 1946, and raised in Midland, Texas" was misleading because of Bush's birth in New Haven, Connecticut, and the Bush generational family's ties to East Coast Republicans.  Reese also questioned the membership of the senior George Bush in the [[Trilateral Commission]],<ref>Reese, p. 137.</ref> a group founded in 1973 with the goal of "a new international economic order."<ref>Trilateral Commission membership – 2008, Website: Augustreview.com, accessed November 11, 2010.</ref> He scolded "Junior Bush," as he called him despite the variation of middle names, of being a "[[Nelson Rockefeller|Rockefeller]]-type Republican" who had supported Gerald Ford in the 1976 nomination fight against Ronald Reagan.<ref>Reese, p. 137.</ref> The senior Bush, out of the country at the time of the Reagan-Ford rivalry, later expressed dismay at Reagan's involvement in the congressional primary: "I am not interesting in getting into an argument with Reagan. But I am surprised about what he is doing here, in my state. ... They are making a real effort to defeat George."<ref>Lois Romano and George Lardner, Jr., "Young Bush, a Political Natural Revs Up," ''[[The Washington Post]]'', July 29, 1999, A1.</ref>

When George W. Bush was asked about the close ties of all the 19th District Republican candidates to the petroleum industry, he replied, "There's no such thing as being too closely aligned with the oil industry in West Texas."<ref>''Washington Post'', July 29, 1999.</ref> The presence of a third candidate, Joe Hickox, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Lubbock, prevented an outright winner from being nominated in the May 6 primary.<ref>Reese, p. 138.</ref><ref>''Washington Post'', July 29, 1999.</ref> Bush led 6,296 (47.5 percent) to Reese's 5,498 (41.5 percent) and Hickox's 1,455 (11 percent). Therefore, under Texas law, a runoff election was held on June 3 to nominate a majority winner. Bush then prevailed in the low turnout contest, 6,787 (55.9 percent) to Reese's 5,350 (44.1 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Congressional primary election returns, May 6 and June 3, 1978.</ref>

When George W. Bush was asked about the close ties of all the 19th District Republican candidates to the petroleum industry, he replied, "There's no such thing as being too closely aligned with the oil industry in West Texas."<ref>''Washington Post'', July 29, 1999.</ref> The presence of a third candidate, Joe Hickox, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Lubbock, prevented an outright winner from being nominated in the May 6 primary.<ref>Reese, p. 138.</ref><ref>''Washington Post,'' July 29, 1999.</ref> Bush led 6,296 (47.5 percent) to Reese's 5,498 (41.5 percent) and Hickox's 1,455 (11 percent). Therefore, under Texas law, a runoff election was held on June 3 to nominate a majority winner. Bush then prevailed in the low turnout contest, 6,787 (55.9 percent) to Reese's 5,350 (44.1 percent).<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Congressional primary election returns, May 6 and June 3, 1978.</ref>

In his presidential memoirs, ''Decision Points'' (2010), George W. Bush refers to Reese as a:<blockquote> "smooth-talking former sportscaster and mayor of Odessa ... who felt entitled to the nomination in 1978. He was very unhappy that I had outpolled him in the first round of the primary. Reese had a hard edge, and so did some of his supporters. Their strategy was to paint me as a liberal, out-of-touch [[carpetbagger]]. They threw out all kinds of conspiracy theories. Dad was part of a trilateral commission campaign to establish a one-world government. I had been sent by the Rockefeller family to buy up farmland... Despite all of the innuendos, I was optimistic about my chances. My strategy was to build up a bulkhead in my home county of Midland. I lost every county in the district but took Midland by such a huge margin that I won the nomination.<ref>[[George W. Bush]], ''Decision Points'' (New York: Crown Publishers, 2010), p. 39.</ref></blockquote>

In his presidential memoirs, ''Decision Points'' (2010), George W. Bush refers to Reese as a:<blockquote> "smooth-talking former sportscaster and mayor of Odessa ... who felt entitled to the nomination in 1978. He was very unhappy that I had outpolled him in the first round of the primary. Reese had a hard edge, and so did some of his supporters. Their strategy was to paint me as a liberal, out-of-touch [[carpetbagger]]. They threw out all kinds of conspiracy theories. Dad was part of a trilateral commission campaign to establish a one-world government. I had been sent by the Rockefeller family to buy up farmland... Despite all of the innuendos, I was optimistic about my chances. My strategy was to build up a bulkhead in my home county of Midland. I lost every county in the district but took Midland by such a huge margin that I won the nomination.<ref>[[George W. Bush]], ''Decision Points'' (New York: Crown Publishers, 2010), p. 39.</ref></blockquote>

Among the donors to Bush in the primary against Reese were the widow of [[General]]  [[Douglas MacArthur]], former CBS television president Frank Shakespeare, former Ambassador to Great Britain Anne Armstrong,<ref>Anne L. Armstrong (1927-2008), a long-term Texas Republican figure from tiny Kenedy County  near Corpus Christi, was the first woman to keynote a national party convention, the 1972 GOP conclave in Miami Beach,  [[Florida]].</ref> and former and future Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] as well as automobile executives from [[Detroit]] and oil tycoons from across Texas.<ref>Reese, p. 138.</ref> It was in this campaign too that Bush first met his political operative and long-term advisor, [[Karl Rove]].<ref>[[John Gizzi]], ''Human Events'', January 4, 2005.</ref>

Among the donors to Bush in the primary against Reese were the widow of [[General]]  [[Douglas MacArthur]], former CBS television president Frank Shakespeare, former Ambassador to Great Britain Anne Armstrong,<ref>Anne L. Armstrong (1927-2008), a long-term Texas Republican figure from tiny Kenedy County  near Corpus Christi, was the first woman to keynote a national party convention, the 1972 GOP conclave in Miami Beach,  [[Florida]].</ref> and former and future Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] as well as automobile executives from [[Detroit]] and oil tycoons from across Texas.<ref>Reese, p. 138.</ref> It was in this campaign too that Bush first met his political operative and long-term advisor, [[Karl Rove]].<ref>[[John Gizzi]], ''Human Events'', January 4, 2005.</ref>

Reagan political advisor Franklyn Curran "Lyn" Nofziger (1924-2006) urged the former governor to support Reese because of Reese's political experience and past loyalty to Reagan. Nofziger dispatched Reese a $1,000 check from Reagan's political action committee, Citizens for the Republic.<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref>  After Reagan donated to the Reese campaign, Texas gubernatorial candidate Bill Clements and his wife, the former Rita Crocker, visited Reagan at the former governor's home in Pacific Palisades, [[California]]. Clements was a Bush family friend who had served as assistant defense secretary under Rumsfeld in the Ford administration and had been the finance chairman of the elder Bush's unsuccessful 1964 U.S. Senate race against the Democrat [[Ralph Yarborough]]. Clements urged Reagan to match the $1,000 contribution that Reagan had rendered to Reese by giving equally to the second Bush. Nofziger claimed to have told Clements: "'Mr. Clements, we don't do business that way.' Nothing more was said about it."<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref>

Reagan political advisor Franklyn Curran "Lyn" Nofziger (1924-2006) urged the former governor to support Reese because of Reese's political experience and past loyalty to Reagan. Nofziger dispatched Reese a $1,000 check from Reagan's political action committee, Citizens for the Republic.<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref>  After Reagan donated to the Reese campaign, Texas gubernatorial candidate Bill Clements and his wife, the former Rita Crocker, visited Reagan at the former governor's home in Pacific Palisades, [[California]]. Clements was a Bush family friend who had served as assistant defense secretary under Rumsfeld in the Ford administration and had been the finance chairman of the elder Bush's unsuccessful 1964 U.S. Senate race against the Democrat [[Ralph Yarborough]]. Clements urged Reagan to match the $1,000 contribution that Reagan had rendered to Reese by giving equally to the second Bush. Nofziger claimed to have told Clements: "'Mr. Clements, we don't do business that way.' Nothing more was said about it."<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref>

Reagan and his political team had a rule against making endorsements in contested primaries except for incumbents. Reagan broke his own policy to assist Reese. In the spring of 1978, Reagan came to Abilene, Texas, at the time outside the 19th congressional district, to deliver a speech. Reagan was accompanied by his aide [[Michael Deaver]]<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref> and Ernest Angelo, Jr., the Republican national committeeman, co-chairman of the 1976 Reagan primary campaign in Texas, but also a Midland friend of the elder Bush. Reese recalls that Deaver and Angelo urged Reagan not to become involved in a contested primary. Nofziger countered by reminding Reagan that he owed nothing politically to the Bushes.<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref> This was two years before the formulation of the Reagan–Bush national ticket. Reese, however, said to Reagan: "I told him that I needed his public endorsement."  Thereafter while in Amarillo, also outside the 19th congressional district, Reagan filmed a 30-second spot for Reese, with the former governor's hand on Reese's shoulder. Reese added that despite philosophical differences he has attempted to maintain cordial ties with the Bushes over the years.<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref>

Reagan and his political team had a rule against making endorsements in contested primaries except for incumbents. Reagan broke his own policy to assist Reese. In the spring of 1978, Reagan came to Abilene, Texas, at the time outside the 19th congressional district, to deliver a speech. Reagan was accompanied by his aide [[Michael Deaver]]<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref> and Ernest Angelo, Jr., the Republican national committeeman, co-chairman of the 1976 Reagan primary campaign in Texas, but also a Midland friend of the elder Bush. Reese recalls that Deaver and Angelo urged Reagan not to become involved in a contested primary. Nofziger countered by reminding Reagan that he owed nothing politically to the Bushes.<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref> This was two years before the formulation of the Reagan–Bush national ticket. Reese, however, said to Reagan: "I told him that I needed his public endorsement."  Thereafter while in Amarillo, also outside the 19th congressional district, Reagan filmed a 30-second spot for Reese, with the former governor's hand on Reese's shoulder. Reese added that despite philosophical differences he has attempted to maintain cordial ties with the Bushes over the years.<ref>Reese, p. 139.</ref>