The following are the complete and unedited responses submitted by the candidate listed below to the Amarillo Pioneer’s Candidate Questionnaire.
Photo by Jentry May
Name: Caroline Fairly
Office Sought: State Representative, District 87
Party Affiliation: Republican
Age: 25
Educational Background: Abilene Christian University: Bachelor in Business Marketing
Occupation: Team Leader and Senior Medical Bill Negotiator
If you are a business owner, please list the business or businesses that you own.
n/a
Please list any civic boards or commissions (non-profit, government, union, religious, political, etc.) on which you have served as a board member or equivalent.
Hope Choice: College Mentorship Program
Have you previously held or do you currently hold any elected office? If so, what office(s)?
No
If your campaign has any online campaign resources where voters can learn more about you, such as social media accounts or a website, please list them below.
FairlyForTexas.com
facebook.com/fairlyfortexas
Why did you decide to run for this office in 2024?
When Four Price announced his retirement, I ultimately decided that the conservative values which made Texas great have to be defended and applied to the issues we are facing. For me, those values come from my faith. Texas needs conservative leaders who will unapologetically fight for these values and won’t be swayed by Austin politics so that we can make a difference for the people of the Texas panhandle.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities in office?
1) Securing the border
2) Keeping taxes low
3) Continue meeting with people of District 87 to ensure I truly understand and have a pulse on the needs and issues that affect our communities. There are many struggling rural towns that need help with healthcare and confidence that their public schools will not lose funding.
What is your position on taxpayer-funded lobbying? Please explain.
Taxpayer-funded lobbying is a huge problem in Texas. It is bad for all Texans, and I will work hard to support every effort to end it. There are numerous examples of how taxpayer-funded lobbying works against taxpayers. It is particularly bad for rural Texans whose hard-earned tax money is going to hired-gun lobbyists in Austin. If I am elected, I will look out for taxpayer’s best interests, and will help our communities and schools have a voice in Austin.
How should the legislature go about delivering further property tax relief? Please explain.
Governor Abbot signed the biggest tax break in history this year - $18 Billion in property tax cuts. The best thing the legislature can do is to work hard to hold local governments accountable for tax increases, and also fight to ensure the legislature doesn’t roll back the reforms that were enacted. Texas legislators must continue to look for ways to cut taxes, be sure those tax cuts ultimately are returned to taxpayers, and continue to operate under budget so we are able to reduce the need for tax revenue.
What is an issue you believe has gone overlooked in your race and how will you address it if elected?
Protecting our children from inappropriate messaging in schools on gender and sexuality, and put an end to pornography in public school libraries.
I will fight to protect our children from pornography, harmful materials and ideologies in schools. I will be a voice for the Texas Panhandle and will unapologetically fight for the conservative values that have made our State, and the Texas panhandle great.
Do you have any notable endorsements you would like to highlight for voters?
Governor Greg Abbott
U. S. Senator Ted Cruz
U. S. Congressman Ronny Jackson
Texas Attorney General Dan Paxton
Texas Senator Kevin Sparks
Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
Perryton Mayor Kerry Symons
Gruver Mayor Steven Davis
Texas Right to Life
Amarillo Professional Firefighters Association Local 542
Amarillo Police Officers Association
Teamsters Local 577
Conservative Patriots 4 Texas
Why are you the best candidate for voters to support for this position?
To begin, I believe it’s time for a fresh voice in Austin who will represent the conservative values of the Texas Panhandle but without relying on the same, tired politics. The solutions for the problems we’re facing require new energy and new perspectives.
But we also need someone who shares the conservative values of Panhandle people. I’m an Amarillo native who spent time in Washington D.C. helping our Congressman Ronny Jackson set up and transition to office, where he could serve the Texas panhandle. I learned so much about local challenges and priorities while in that position, and I also recognized the unhealthy sides of national politics. I returned to Amarillo knowing that local and state politics could be a more effective way to address some of those challenges.
Like the people in our community, my conservative political views are deeply impacted by my faith and personal values. We need a new generation of conservative leaders who will fight for those values but won’t be swayed by Austin politics. And as a medical negotiator, I work with healthcare CEOs across the nation, finding ways for them to lower healthcare costs. In other words, my job is to convince established leaders to consider new perspectives and solutions. I do it in healthcare and I’ll do it as a state representative.
I have the energy, experience, and skill-set needed to be your voice in Austin and I am ready to hit the ground running. I am ready to be a voice for the Texas panhandle.