George H.W. Bush backs Gillespie in Va.

Former President George H.W. Bush stepped up his late flurry of endorsements on Sunday, backing Republican Ed Gillespie’s bid for the Senate in Virginia.

{mosads}In his endorsement, the 41^st president called Gillespie, who’s trying to unseat Sen. Mark Warner (D), a friend “who will always do the right thing for Virginia and America.”

Gillespie, a longtime political operative, served as White House counselor for Bush’s son, former President George W. Bush.

“Ed will be an effective senator from day one. He’ll fight for you every single day. Ed will also stand up for our nation’s veterans, over 800,000 of whom call Virginia home – who have fought to keep us safe and free,” said George H.W. Bush, himself a World War II veteran.

Election analysts say Warner is likely to defeat Gillespie on Tuesday, though polls in the state over the last week showed the Republican perhaps closing the gap.

George H.W. Bush has been choosy with his endorsements this midterm year. The former president endorsed Joni Ernst, a Republican state senator seeking a Senate seat in Iowa – a key presidential state.

George H.W. Bush also endorsed David Perdue, a Republican running for Senate in Georgia this year. Perdue’s Democratic opponent, Michelle Nunn, is currently on leave as chief executive of the Points of Light Foundation, which the elder Bush helped start. 

Some people in and close to the Bush family have urged former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) to run for president in 2016.