Empower Texans


Empower Texans is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting free market principles in Texas. It is affiliated with Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and the Empower Texans Foundation. Empower Texans is based in Austin with operations in Dallas, Houston and Midland. Michael Quinn Sullivan serves as the organization's CEO and Ross Kecseg serves as the organization's president. Empower Texans focuses on fiscal conservatism by supporting lower taxes and spending restraint.

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, which is a project of Empower Texans, is a conservative political advocacy group based in Austin, Texas. Founded by Michael Quinn Sullivan, the stated mission of TFR is to "create and sustain a system of strong fiscal stewardship within all levels of Texas government, ensuring the greatest amounts of economic and personal liberty, and promoting public policies that provide individuals with the freedom to use their strengths and talents in pursuit of greater opportunities." TFR is a nonprofit organization and files as a 501c.
TFR advocates for limited government via reduced taxation and greater public accountability. The group has been described as trying to "purge the GOP establishment." Texas Monthly called TFR "one of the most influential advocacy groups in Austin".
Through TFR, Empower Texans publishes an annual Fiscal Responsibility Index, which is a scorecard the group uses to grade legislators according to how well they protect the interests of taxpayers; and a Taxpayer Pledge, which is signed by lawmakers who promise not to raise taxes. The group hands out "Taxpayer Champion Awards" to legislators who score well on TFR's Fiscal Responsibility Index.

''Texas Scorecard''

In January 2015, Empower Texans launched a project called Texas Scorecard. Texas Scorecard is a print and online publication of the organization's expanded news section. The publication's managing editor is Brandon Waltens. The print version features content from Empower Texans' website as well as other conservative, Texas-based organizations.

2016 elections

The group, which opposed Republican Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus, made $1.4 million in donations and in-kind contributions to anti-Straus candidates in the 2016 primary election.
Empower Texans made the following endorsements for the November 2016 general election:
CandidateOfficeDistrictOutcome
Wayne ChristianRailroad Commission of TexasCommissionerWin
Paul W. GreenSupreme Court of TexasPlace 5Win
Eva GuzmanSupreme Court of TexasPlace 9Win
Cole HefnerTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 5Win
Matt SchaeferTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 6Win
Terry WilsonTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 20Win
Mike LangTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 60Win
Matt ShaheenTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 66Win
Jeff LeachTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 67Win
Scott SanfordTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 70Win
Kyle BiedermannTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 73Win
Dustin BurrowsTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 83Win
Stephanie KlickTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 91Win
Jonathan SticklandTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 92Win
Matt KrauseTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 93Win
Tony TinderholtTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 94Win
Bill ZedlerTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 96Win
Rodney AndersonTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 105Win
Pat FallonTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 106Win
Matt RinaldiTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 115Win
Kevin RobertsTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 126Win
Briscoe CainTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 128Win
Tom OliversonTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 130Win
Valoree SwansonTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 150Win
Bryan HughesTexas SenateDistrict 1Win
Brandon CreightonTexas SenateDistrict 4Win
Brian BirdwellTexas SenateDistrict 22Win
Dawn BuckinghamTexas SenateDistrict 24Win

2018 elections

In the 2018 Texas Republican primary elections, which were held on March 6, 2018, Empower Texans endorsed 34 candidates. A total of 13 endorsed candidates won, while 17 lost and four advanced to runoff primary elections in May 2018. Two of the group's notable victories were the defeat of state representatives Jason Villalba and Wayne Faircloth.