The Texas businessman quietly spending millions to make the state more conservative
A Texas businessman most people have never heard of has stunned the state’s Republicans with an eye-popping $20 million effort to move the state to the right.
Alex Fairly, the sole donor to the new Texas Republican Leadership Fund, says he wants Republican Party members to rally behind a conservative candidate for the House of Representatives.
This would mark a political shift in Texas, where the chairman has been chosen in recent years by a coalition of Republicans and some Democrats.
His announcement comes amid a battle over whether Rep. Dustin Burrows or David Cook should replace outgoing chairman Dade Phelan.
In fairness, an Amarillo-based healthcare entrepreneur has become one of the biggest spenders in Texas politics in recent years.
He is a vocal proponent of smaller government, lower taxes and parents having more say in how schools are run.
He is also a strict Christian.
In a 2023 speech about another $20 million donation, he spoke emotionally about the family’s fortunes.
“Cheryl and I don’t really believe that what we have is ours. We think God has given it to us as stewards. And so, when we decide to do things with it, I think we’ll just take care of it the way he asked us to.”
Alex, Caroline and other members of the Fairly family celebrate Christmas
The size of the new fund — several times larger than previous political donations in Texas — stunned many Republicans.
Congressman Ronny Jackson praised Fairly, saying he “always perseveres when he’s involved.”
“This will go a long way to benefiting our great state!” Jackson posted online.
Fairly’s daughter, Caroline Fairly, will take her seat in the House of Representatives next month after receiving support from Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and others.
In a Dec. 17 statement unveiling the fund, Fairly urged Republican elected members to “unite to elect a chairman with a Republican majority.”
“Every Republican House member should strongly oppose a minority group of Republicans working with Democrats to forge a joint government deal,” Fairly said.
His huge donation would “help grow a true Republican majority,” he added.
It’s only the latest time Fairly has dropped millions of dollars in an effort to reform 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 of north Texas.
GOP megadonor Alex Fairly and his daughter Caroline, who won a seat in the Texas House in a landslide victory in November
The Fairly family with Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Fairly says of his fortune: “Cheryl and I don’t really believe what we have is ours. We think God has given it to us as stewards. And so, when we decide to do things with it, we think we’ll just take care of it the way he asked us to.”
It will focus on “family life,” “hard work,” “patriotism,” “rugged individualism” and other conservative themes, the council says.
Fairly has also made major donations to the political campaigns for Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Last year, he donated about $220,000 to Defend Texas Liberty, a conservative political action committee, according to The Texas Tribune.
An online profile lists him as the CEO and founder of the OccuNet Company, a health care financing company with revenues of about $37 million a year.
He studied computer science at West Texas A&M University in the 1980s, he says.
He describes himself as an “outspoken advocate of school choice,” making it easier for parents and students to get an education that suits their needs.
In 2023, when Fairly was being touted as a candidate for Amarillo’s mayoral race, he promised to push for “small government” in the city.
Last year, he sued the city of Amarillo to prevent it from using taxpayer money to rebuild a civic center, in a plan rejected by voters.
Cheryl and Alex Fairly, left and right, supported their daughter Caroline, centre, during her election campaign last year
Alex and Cheryl Fairly donated $20 million last year to West Texas A&M University to create an institute focused on ‘Panhandle values’
The new fund did not respond to DailyMail.com’s requests for an interview with Fairly.
His recently chosen daughter regularly posts photos 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 increased security along the Texas-Mexico border, which saw a spike in border crossings under the Biden administration.
She defeated Democratic challenger Timothy Gassaway in a landslide in November.
Fairly is the CEO of the OccuNet Company, a healthcare financing company with revenues of $37 million per year