George W. Bush
Bush and his wife, Laura, had twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, in 1981. In some ways, Bush still found himself adrift. As an oilman, he had never hit it big as his father had. In 1985, the price of oil collapsed, and though Bush profited when he sold his company to a Dallas firm, he still had not had the success he craved. Bush also came to the realization that he was drinking too much. In 1986, he gave up alcohol, reaffirmed his Christian faith, and returned to politics.
While working on his father's 1988 campaign, Bush decided that he wanted to become governor of Texas. He became serious about building his resume for the run. He assembled a group of investors to buy the Texas Rangers baseball team and became managing partner in order to gain experience and credibility as an executive. In 1994, to the surprise of many observers, he ran a shrewd and effective campaign against incumbent Ann Richards and defeated her. Bush became an extremely popular chief executive and won a smashing reelection victory in 1998. As Bush had no doubt planned, the national Republican party took note. The stage was set for his run for the presidency in 2000.
More photos of George W. Bush can be found on the web at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.