Texas State Capitol Building | Image by Png Studio Photography/Shutterstock
(Texas Scorecard) – A new group aiming to hold Republicans in the Texas Legislature accountable is being launched, backed by a substantial $20 million to start.
According to a Fox News report, the Texas Republican Leadership Fund is being established “to elect true conservatives to crucial leadership roles.”
Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly, the organization’s principal donor, emphasized that as President Donald Trump prepares to take office next month, it is more important than ever for Texas to elect strong conservative leaders.
“We need to elect leaders who will stand up for conservative principles and not compromise with the left,” said Fairly.
Meanwhile, in the Texas House, some Republicans are reportedly attempting to keep Democrats in power through the race for the speaker of the House.
Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield) won the support of the House GOP caucus for the speakership. Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) has since sought an alliance with the minority Democrats to propel him to Speaker.
Fairly told The Dallas Express that Burrows lacked “integrity” for mounting an attempted end-run on the speakership — a bid that requires Democratic support to be successful.
He told DX he doesn’t want a Republican Speaker “beholden” to Democratic priorities. He believes a Republican Speaker backed by the Republican majority in the Texas House affords the “ability to lead without having their hands tied up.”
Fairly made clear that the group will hold members accountable should they support a Democrat-backed candidate for speaker.
“In spite of the progress made in this past election cycle… toward conservative priorities, there may still be work to do in the next primary cycle. These funds will be available to help expand a true Republican majority,” Fairly stated.
He added: “Democrats don’t give their votes away for free; they want things in return. So, we end up with a House that’s not really run by the majority. It’s co-run by Democrats and a minority of Republicans. It puts Texas in such a weak position to accomplish what we could if we were truly led by a majority of Republicans. This time, we’re bringing this out into the light.”
The initial $20 million in funding immediately positions the PAC as a major force in Texas politics. For context, it rivals the $28 million last reported by Texans for Lawsuit Reform and far surpasses the $1.2 million cash on hand reported by the establishment-aligned Associated Republicans of Texas.
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