{{Short description|Conservative advocacy group}} {{Infobox organization | name = Empower Texans | native_name = | image = File:Empower Texans Logo.svg | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | predecessor = | merged_into = | successor = | formation = 2006 | founder = | dissolved =2020 | merger = | type = 501(c)(4) nonprofit | tax_id = | registration_id = | status = | purpose = To promote free-market principles in Texas | headquarters = Austin, Texas | leader_title = | leader_name = | key_people = Michael Quinn Sullivan, CEO<ref name="HCFines"/> | affiliations = | budget = | budget_year = | revenue = | revenue_year = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Empower Texans''' was a conservative advocacy group in Texas that was active from 2006 to 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Scherer |first1=Jasper |title=Four takeaways from the Texas 2022 primary elections |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Four-takeaways-from-the-Texas-2022-primary-16972917.php |access-date=13 April 2022 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=2 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Grigsby |first1=Sharon |title=GOP guru thinks Texas teachers are just babysitters? Let's see how his insults play at the polls |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/commentary/2022/01/10/gop-guru-thinks-texas-teachers-are-just-baby-sitters-lets-see-how-his-insults-play-at-the-polls/ |access-date=1 February 2022 |publisher=The Dallas Morning News |date=10 January 2022}}</ref> It was affiliated with Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, which was later spun off into its own organization. Empower Texans was based in Austin with operations in Dallas, Houston, and Midland.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schleifer|first1=Theodore|title=Updated: Empower Texans looks to make a Houston home|url=http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2014/09/empower-texans-looks-to-make-houston-footprint/|access-date=19 February 2015|publisher=Houston Chronicle|date=September 15, 2014}}</ref> Empower Texans focused on fiscal conservatism by supporting lower taxes and spending restraint.<ref name=nytimes/> It operated in Republican state-level politics in Texas, targeting candidates whom the group views as insufficiently conservative in Republican primaries.
==History==
Empower Texans was formed in 2006 by businessman Tim Dunn.<ref name="Senate">{{cite news |last1=Platoff |first1=Emma |title=In the Texas House, they're seen as lobbyists. In the Senate, they sit at the press table. |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/01/29/empower-texans-texas-senate-press-access-dan-patrick/ |access-date=13 October 2020 |publisher=Texas Tribune |date=29 January 2019}}</ref> Dunn was the group's primary financial contributor.<ref name=nytimes/> Dan and Farris Wilks were also major donors to Empower Texans.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weinberg |first1=Tessa |title=After scandal, will Empower Texans donors hurt or help in this Tarrant County race? |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article239947628.html |access-date=14 October 2020 |date=February 7, 2020}}</ref> The group was described as Tea Party-aligned.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldenstein |first1=Taylor |title=What is Empower Texans? A look at the group that's roiling the Texas House |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/What-is-Empower-Texans-A-look-at-the-group-14273613.php |access-date=14 October 2020 |work=HoustonChronicle.com |date=1 August 2019}}</ref>
In 2014, Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission after the agency alleged that he had failed to register as a lobbyist starting in 2010. Sullivan said his activities were best described as journalism rather than lobbying.<ref name="Senate"/> He appealed the fine,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Platoff |first1=Emma |title=Appeals court revives Empower Texans lawsuit seeking to gut the Texas Ethics Commission |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/08/03/empower-texans-lawsuit-aiming-gut-texas-ethics-commission-revived/ |access-date=19 October 2020 |work=The Texas Tribune |date=3 August 2018 |language=en}}</ref> but in 2021 was ordered to pay the fines by a district court judge.<ref name="HCFines">{{cite news |last1=Goldenstein |first1=Taylor |title=Judge orders Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan to pay ethics fines |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Judge-orders-Empower-Texans-CEO-Michael-Quinn-15885153.php |access-date=29 January 2022 |publisher=Houston Chronicle |date=20 January 2021}}</ref>
In a 2025 piece, ''The New York Times'' described the group as a force that helped Texas politics shift to the right (such as helping Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in his first election campaigns) while acknowledging that their track record is mixed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Corasaniti |first=Nick |last2=Wines |first2=Michael |date=2025-02-23 |title=The Death of Competition in American Elections |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/23/us/politics/us-elections-gerrymandering.html |access-date=2025-02-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Texans for Fiscal Responsibility== Texans for Fiscal Responsibility (TFR) was a project of Empower Texans, but was later spun off into its own organization.<ref>{{cite web |title=Texans for Fiscal Responsibility |url=https://www.texastaxpayers.com/ |website=Texans For Fiscal Responsibility |access-date=15 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reynolds|first1=John|title=Suit Over Spoof PAC Ends With Apology|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2014/03/28/suit-over-spoof-pac-ends-apology/|access-date=14 January 2015|publisher=Texas Tribune|date=March 28, 2014}}</ref> The group was founded by Michael Quinn Sullivan.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.empowertexans.com/about/|publisher=Empower Texans|access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref> TFR was a nonprofit organization and filed as a 501(c)(4).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Flahive|first1=Paul|title=The Source: Tracking The "Unlobbyists"|url=http://tpr.org/post/source-tracking-unlobbyists|access-date=14 January 2015|publisher=Texas Public Radio|date=March 31, 2014}}</ref>
TFR advocated for low taxes and limited government spending.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news|last1=Batheja|first1=Aman|title=A Big Spender Aims to Push State Politics Further Right|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/us/a-big-spender-aims-to-push-state-politics-further-right.html|access-date=14 October 2020|work=New York Times|date=May 10, 2014}}</ref> The group was described as trying to "purge the GOP establishment."<ref>{{cite news|title=Texan of the Year finalist: Michael Quinn Sullivan|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20141223-texan-of-the-year-finalist-michael-quinn-sullivan.ece|access-date=14 January 2015|publisher=Dallas Morning News|date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> ''Texas Monthly'' called TFR "one of the most influential advocacy groups in Austin".<ref name=monthly>{{cite news|last1=Blakeslee|first1=Nate|title=Primary Targets|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/primary-targets|access-date=14 January 2015|publisher=Texas Monthly|date=January 2013}}</ref>
Through TFR, Empower Texans published an annual Fiscal Responsibility Index (a legislator rating scorecard); and a Taxpayer Pledge, which was signed by lawmakers who promised not to raise taxes.<ref name=nytimes/><ref name=blakeslee>{{cite news |last1=Blakeslee |first1=Nate |title=Primary Targets |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/primary-targets/ |access-date=23 September 2020 |work=Texas Monthly |date=1 January 2013 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Garrett|first1=Robert|title=Gadfly warns: Vote for Straus, get demerits on group's scorecard for bills his lieutenants smother|url=http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/01/gadfly-warns-vote-for-straus-get-demerits-on-groups-scorecard-for-bills-his-lieutenants-smother.html/|access-date=19 February 2015|publisher=Dallas Morning News|date=January 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Fiscal Responsibility Index|url=http://www.empowertexans.com/index/|publisher=Empower Texans|access-date=19 February 2015}}</ref> The group handed out "Taxpayer Champion Awards" to legislators who scored well on TFR's Fiscal Responsibility Index.<ref>{{cite news|title=Landtroop receives endorsement|url=http://www.myplainview.com/news/article_7bd86104-2151-11e1-a65e-0019bb2963f4.html|publisher=Plainview Herald|date=December 8, 2011}}</ref>
In 2012 and 2013, ''Texas Monthly'' and ''The Texas Observer'' wrote that Michael Quinn Sullivan had exaggerated budget increases and other statistics to make it appear that more moderate Republicans were not sufficiently conservative.<ref name=blakeslee/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilder |first1=Forrest |title=Michael Quinn Sullivan's Fuzzy Math |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/michael-quinn-sullivans-fuzzy-math/ |access-date=23 September 2020 |work=The Texas Observer |date=11 February 2013}}</ref>
==''Texas Scorecard''== In January 2015, Empower Texans launched a print and online publication project called ''Texas Scorecard''.
In 2019, two employees of ''Texas Scorecard'' were granted media credentials to the Texas Senate but denied media credentials to the Texas House.<ref name="Senate"/> Empower Texans filed a First Amendment lawsuit on the employees' behalf.<ref name="TTTrribune">{{cite news |last1=Platoff |first1=Emma |title=Conservative group Empower Texans sues lawmaker to gain state House media credentials |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/17/empower-texans-sues-charlie-geren-gain-access-house-media-credential/ |access-date=29 January 2022 |publisher=The Texas Tribune |date=17 April 2019}}</ref>
''Texas Scorecard'' was spun off into its own nonprofit entity in 2020. Former Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan became the publisher of the publication.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quinn Sullivan |first1=Michael |title=Moving To Texas Scorecard! |url=https://empowertexans.com/moving-to-texas-scorecard/ |access-date=19 October 2020 |work=Empower Texans}}</ref>
==Activities==
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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=Brittney|last2=McSwane|first2=J. David|title=Analysis: One group, and one donor, give large share of money in push to move Texas House to the right|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2016/02/28/analysis-one-group-and-one-donor-give-large-share-of-money-aiming-to-push-texas-house-to-the-right|access-date=2 October 2017|publisher=The Dallas Morning News|date=February 28, 2016}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zelinski|first1=Andrea|title=Key conservative group Empower Texans loses 17 races in primary election|url=https://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Key-conservative-group-Empower-Texans-losses-17-12741928.php|access-date=5 April 2018|publisher=Houston Chronicle|date=March 9, 2018}}</ref> It donated a total of $4.7 million to candidates during the 2018 election cycle.<ref name="Senate"/>
In 2019, empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan secretly recorded then Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen and then chair of the state’s House Republican Caucus Dustin Burrows making negative comments about other legislators, and offering the group press credentials providing floor access in exchange for their working against moderate Republican members.<ref name="texastribune2">{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/16/texas-house-gop-caucus-chairman-dustin-burrows-resigns/ |title=Dustin Burrows resigns as Texas House GOP Caucus chairman amid allegations of targeting Republicans|first1=Cassandra|last1=Pollock|publisher=Texas Tribune|date=August 16, 2019}}</ref> On October 22, 2019, Bonnen announced that he would not seek re-election, paving the way for a new House speaker in the next session of the House.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/22/Dennis-Bonnen-to-not-seek-reelection-to-Texas-House/ |title=Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won't seek reelection after recording scandal|first1=Cassandra|last1=Pollock|publisher=Texas Tribune|date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> An investigation by the Texas Rangers ultimately concluded that Bonnen did not break any laws in the exchange.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/10/24/brazoria-county-da-says-she-wont-prosecute-dennis-bonnen/ |title=Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won't face criminal prosecution, Brazoria County DA says|first1=Cassandra|last1=Pollock|publisher=Texas Tribune|date=October 24, 2019}}</ref>
In the 2020 election cycle, Empower Texans made endorsements in six state House races. As of June 2020, its political action committees had not yet reported any spending on the election cycle.<ref name=trib/>
In June 2020, Empower Texans vice president Cary Cheshire and its general counsel Tony McDonald were recorded making derogatory comments about Texas Governor Greg Abbott, including joking about his use of a wheelchair. Cheshire and McDonald were disciplined by the organization over the incident.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Svitek |first1=Patrick |title=Two Empower Texans staff members reprimanded after recording reveals them joking about Gov. Greg Abbott's wheelchair use |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/19/empower-texans-greg-abbott/ |access-date=23 September 2020 |work=The Texas Tribune |date=19 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=trib>{{cite news |last1=Svitek |first1=Patrick |title=Empower Texans opponents rush to exact revenge over anti-Abbott tirade |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/21/empower-texans-opponents-revenge/ |access-date=23 September 2020 |work=The Texas Tribune |date=22 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://texasscorecard.com/ Texas Scorecard official website]
Category:United States political action committees Category:Politics of Texas Category:Conservative organizations in the United States Category:Organizations established in 2006 Category:Non-profit organizations based in Austin, Texas