A Texas businessman that most people have never heard of has stunned state Republicans with an eye-popping $20million push to steer the state to the right.
Alex Fairly, the sole donor to the new Texas Republican Leadership Fund, says he wants state GOP members to unite behind a conservative candidate for House Speaker.
This would mark a political shift in Texas, where the Speaker has in recent years been chosen by a coalition of Republicans and some Democrats.
His announcement comes amid a battle over whether representative Dustin Burrows or David Cook should replace the outgoing Speaker, Dade Phelan.
Fairly, an Amarillo-based healthcare entrepreneur, has in recent years emerged as one of the biggest spenders in Texas politics.
He’s a vocal supporter of smaller government, lower taxes, and for parents to have more say in how schools are run.
He’s also a strict Christian.
In a 2023 speech about another $20million donation, he spoke emotionally about the family’s fortune.
‘Cheryl and I don’t really believe that what we have is ours. We think God gave it to us to steward. And so, when we decide to do things with it, we think we’re just taking care of it the way he asked us to.’
The size of the new fund – several times larger than previous Texas political donations – left many top Republicans stunned.
Congressman Ronny Jackson praised Fairly, saying he ‘always follows through when involved.’
‘This will go a long way to help our great state!’ Jackson posted online.
Fairly’s daughter, Caroline Fairly, will take a seat in the House next month after securing endorsements from Governor Greg Abbott, US Senator Ted Cruz, and others.
In a December 17 statement unveiling the fund, Fairly urged elected GOP members to ‘unite together to elect a speaker by Republican majority.’
‘Every Republican House member should be strongly opposed to a minority band of Republicans teaming up with Democrats to cut a joint governing agreement,’ said Fairly.
His massive donation would ‘help expand a true Republican majority,’ he added.
It’s just the latest time Fairly has dropped millions of dollars in an effort to reshape politics in the Lone Star state.
He and his wife Cheryl previously donated tens of millions to West Texas A&M University to create an institute that promotes ‘panhandle values,’ a reference to his conservative-leaning region in northern Texas.
It will focus on ‘family life,’ ‘hard work,’ ‘patriotism,’ ‘rugged individualism’ and other conservative themes, the college says.
Fairly has also made big donations to the political campaigns for Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Last year, he donated some $220,000 to Defend Texas Liberty, a conservative political action committee, according to The Texas Tribune.
Fairly in an online profile says he’s the CEO and founder of the OccuNet Company, a roughly $37 million-a-year healthcare financing company.
He studied computer science at West Texas A&M University in the 1980s, he says.
He describes himself as an ‘outspoken supporter of school choice’ and making it easier for parents and students to get an education that fits their needs.
In 2023, when Fairly was being touted as a candidate in Amarillo’s mayoral race, he vowed to push for ‘small government’ in the city.
The previous year, he sued the City of Amarillo to prevent it from using taxpayer dollars to rebuild a civic center, in a plan that had been rejected by voters.
The new fund did not answer DailyMail.com’s requests for an interview with Fairly.
His recently-elected daughter regularly posts pictures of herself with Fairly and other family members, and talks about their background in the Texas panhandle.
On her website, she calls it a ‘place where we still love our flag, where opportunity abounds, and where values and family still matter.’
She also campaigned for more security along the Texas-Mexico border, which saw a spike in crossings under the Biden Administration.
She defeated Democratic challenger Timothy Gassaway in a landslide in November.
