Former president George W. Bush is headlining fundraisers for GOP candidates facing tough challenges ahead of the midterm elections. He won’t, however, be appearing on behalf of his home state Texas senator Ted Cruz, notes The Dallas Morning News.

A spokesman for Bush told the newspaper that the other campaign appearances “work with our schedule.”

But it’s no secret Bush is not a big fan of Cruz, who served as domestic policy adviser for Bush’s 2000 presidential race and is now facing a tough battle against Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Bush said of Cruz at a GOP fundraising event in late 2015: “I just don’t like the guy,” several donors on scene told Politico. Cruz was running at the time against Bush’s brother, Jeb Bush, for the GOP presidential nomination.

“The tenor of what he said about the other candidates was really pretty pleasant,” one witness told Politico. “Until he got to Cruz.”

RELATED: George W. Bush and family

20 PHOTOS George W. Bush and family See Gallery George W. Bush and family President Bush (L) gets a grand welcome home to the White House from granddaughter Jenna (C) after returning from Philadelphia, September 12, 1991. The president's son George W. (Jenna's father) is at rear and her mother Laura Bush is at right. One of the president's dogs is in the foreground. REUTERS/Rick Wilking Gov. George W. Bush gives his mother and former first lady Barbara Bush a hug after a family portrait session, June 10. The Bush family was in Houston celebrating the 75th and 74th birthdays, respectively, of the former president and first lady. George W. Bush hits the campaign trail with his father, former U.S. President George H. Bush, his wife Laura Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush at a rally in downtown Houston, November 7, 1994. George W. Bush is running for Governor of Texas against Ann Richards. REUTERS/Michael Boddy Texas Gov. George W. Bush (L) and his brother Florida Gov. Jeb Bush share a laugh with their father, former President George Bush during a family portrait session, June 10.The Bush family was in Houston celebrating the birthdays of the former president and the former first lady. aal/ Photo by Adrees A. AAL/RC George W. Bush, wife Laura Bush and daughters, Jenna (L) and Barbara pose for a family portrait in Kennebunkport, Maine in this August 20, 1998 file photo. With the Republican convention set to begin in Philadelphia on July 31, the political focus has centered on who Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush will pick to be his running mate. George W. Bush with his mother Barbara Bush, father, George Bush, and grandparents, Prescott and Dorothy Bush in Midland, Texas. CM FILE PHOTO NOV77 - George W. Bush and Laura Welch's wedding In November, 1977. Left to right: Marvin, Dorothy, Neil, Columba, Jeb, Laura, George W., Barabara Bush, George Bush, and Dorothy walker Bush. CM/SV President-elect George W. Bush's daughter Jenna was admitted to a local hospital December 25, 2000 with "abdominal pains" and underwent an appendectomy, a Bush spokesman said. Jenna (C), pictured in this August 3, 2000 file photo during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia with her mother Laura Bush and grandfather former President George Bush, was celebrating the holiday her family at the Texas governor's mansion. The family will depart on a scheduled trip to Florida today for a family reunion without Jenna, who will probably join the gathering on Wednesday, the spokesman said. MMR President-elect George W. Bush's daughter Jenna was admitted to a local hospital December 25, 2000 with "abdominal pains" and underwent an appendectomy, a Bush spokesman said. Jenna (L) and her 19-year-old twin, Barbara, pictured in this August 3, 2000 file photo during the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, were celebrating the holiday with Bush and his wife, Laura, at the Texas governor's mansion. The family will depart on a scheduled trip to Florida today for a family reunion without Jenna, who will probably join the gathering on Wednesday, the spokesman said. MMR President George W. Bush (R) is hugged by his daughter Jenna while his wife, first lady Laura Bush (2nd R), daughter Barbara (L) and Vice President Dick Cheney look on, after Bush was sworn in at the U.S. Capitol, January 20, 2001. Bush took the oath of office as the 43rd President of the United States during the Inauguration ceremony and pledged he would work to build "a single nation of justice and opportunity. MMR/ME Former U.S. President George Bush (L) puts his arm around President George W. Bush (C) as they leave the 18th green with Florida Governor Jeb Bush after playing an early morning round at Cape Arundel Golf Club in Maine July 7, 2001. The Bushes are enjoying a family gathering this weekend at their Kennebunkport home. KL U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush leave church with their young niece Gigi Koch, daughter of the president's sister Dorothy, after attending Sunday services at St. Ann's Episcopal Church July 8, 2001 in Kennebunkport, Maine. The president is in the final day of a four-day family vacation at his parents' seaside summer home. JRB/ME President George W. Bush signs the Protect Act of 2003 also known as the Amber Alert legislation surrounded by former missing children and their families during a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington April 30, 2003. Former missing child Elizabeth Smart watches at left. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn GMH (L-R) First lady Laura Bush, her daughters Jenna and Barbara, and Republican Senator John McCain (AZ) sit in the first row for the debate between Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and U.S. President George W. Bush at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida September 30, 2004. The debate is the first of three presidential debates before the election November 2. REUTERS/Brian Snyder US ELECTION BS First family twins Barbara (L) and Jenna Bush, U.S. President George W. Bush's 22-year-old daughters, are pictured at the prime time program of the 2004 Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York, August 30, 2004. Republicans opened their four-day national convention on Monday with salutes to President George W. Bush's wartime leadership and repeated reminders of his aggressive response to the September 11, 2001, attacks. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn US ELECTION REUTERS HK Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush (C) walks with granddaughter Barbara Bush (L), and daughter-in-law Margaret Bush (R), towards Air Force One before departing Texas for Washington May 11, 2008. REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES) U.S. President George W. Bush (L-R), his wife Laura Bush, their daughter Jenna Hager and her husband Henry Hager arrive to participate in a commemorative tree planting ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington September 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES) U.S. President George W. Bush (L-R), his daughter Jenna Hager and her husband Henry Hager participate in a commemorative tree planting ceremony on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington September 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES) U.S. President George W. Bush and his daughter Jenna laugh together as they attend the 2008 National Book Festival Gala Performance at the Library of Congress in Washington September 26, 2008. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES) Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Jenna Bush Hager, Henry Hager and Barbara Bush, attend the dedication ceremony for the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, April 25, 2013. U.S President Barack Obama is in Texas to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with former president George W. Bush in what could serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle against terrorism, from the Sept. 11 attacks to the Boston Marathon bombings. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

Bush called Cruz’s apparent alliance with Trump early in the campaign “opportunistic,” a source told Politico. That relationship soured soon after when Trump derided Cruz’s wife, Heidi Cruz, and repeated a bizarre conspiracy theory that Cruz’s father was linked to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy.

During a radio interview in Lubbock, Cruz was asked about about Bush campaigning with him.

“I worked for him for many years, and we’ll see if something happens with him or not,” Cruz responded, The Houston Chronicle reported.

Bush headlined a fundraiser Friday for Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for Senate. He’s also scheduled for events for North Dakota Senate candidate Kevin Cramer, Missouri Senate candidate Josh Hawley, and Senate candidate Mike Braun of Indiana, Politico reported last week.

Bush is also appearing for his own Texas GOP congressman Pete Sessions next week, and turned out last week for GOP Rep. Will Hurd who’s running to retain his West Texas seat.

“While he prefers to consider himself retired from politics, he recognizes how important it is to keep the Senate and decided to help a few key candidates,” said his spokesman Freddy Ford.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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