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A generous Texas Panhandle businessman has committed a staggering $20 million to launch a fresh political organization with the objective of propelling the state Republican Party towards a more conservative stance.
Alex Fairly has been announced as the sole donor to the recently established Texas Republican Leadership Fund. The formation of this fund is a response to the ongoing leadership conflict within the Texas House, which symbolizes the larger internal struggle that has been prevalent in Texas GOP politics for quite some time.
Fairly, an up-and-coming conservative megadonor hailing from Amarillo, has generously contributed millions of dollars to West Texas A&M University. His donations have specifically aimed at establishing an institute that champions the values of the Panhandle region. In addition to this, Fairly has also made substantial contributions to prominent political figures such as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
Caroline Fairly, who will be taking a seat in the House chamber this January, is also the daughter of Fairly.
The initial donation is an astonishing amount, even by Texas standards, where there are no political spending limits for non-judicial candidates. To put it into perspective, earlier this year, Governor Greg Abbott received a $6 million donation from a national Republican donor, which was hailed as the largest single donation to a candidate in the state’s history.
Fairly hinted that his group is likely to support state Rep. David Cook for the position of House speaker. Cook, who hails from Mansfield, was nominated by the House GOP Caucus in recent weeks. However, Rep. Dustin Burrows from Lubbock has claimed that he has garnered sufficient backing from Republicans and Democrats alike, positioning himself as a strong contender for the speakership in the upcoming January vote.
In a statement, Fairly expressed strong opposition to a minority group of Republicans partnering with Democrats to form a joint governing agreement, emphasizing that every Republican House member should stand against it. This sentiment was echoed by Burrows.
Fairly expressed his intention to build upon the successes achieved by conservatives during the 2024 election cycle in order to further strengthen the Republican majority.
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In the previous year, Fairly generously contributed over $220,000 to Defend Texas Liberty, establishing himself as one of the top contributors to this influential political action committee, only surpassed by West Texas billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. However, Defend Texas Liberty’s activities came to a halt when The Texas Tribune exposed its connections to Nick Fuentes, a well-known admirer of Adolf Hitler, and other individuals associated with white supremacist beliefs.
Fairly had previously been engaged in local Amarillo politics, but lately, he has been increasing his contributions on a state level. This shift coincided with Dunn’s decision to shift his attention towards national politics.
Texas A&M University and West Texas A&M University have provided financial support to The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization. The Tribune’s funding comes from various sources, including donations from members, foundations, and corporate sponsors. It’s important to note that the financial supporters do not influence the Tribune’s journalism in any way. For a comprehensive list of the Tribune’s supporters, please click here.
