Answer: George W. Bush first attempted to enter public office as a member of Congress, campaigning for US House of Representatives seat for the 19th Congressional District of Texas (which covers an area of West Texas).
George W. Bush did not win that 1978 election campaign. Years later, however, he did win the 1994 election for Governor of Texas. He was reelected as Texas' governor in 1998, but stepped down before the end of his second term as governor when he won the 2000 election to become the 43rd President of the United States.