Gov. Greg Abbott campaigns for Caroline Fairly in Amarillo during stops throughout Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott stopped in Amarillo on Friday to support Texas House candidate Caroline Fairly at Tyler’s Barbeque. This stop was part of a multi-city visit to throw his support behind candidates in the state, with stops in Frisco and North Richland Hills also scheduled for the same day.

With State Rep. Four Price not seeking reelection, Fairly has gotten a slew of endorsements from major politicians across the state, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, State Sen. Kevin Sparks, and U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, whom she worked on staff with. Price was one of a group of rural Republicans who joined Democrats in opposing Abbott’s school choice plan. Caroline’s father, Alex Fairly, has donated extensively to push the governor’s school choice plan.

At the event, Abbott announced that Caroline Fairly would be an ally in getting school choice passed for the state, which means that he likely will gain one more vote of support in the Texas Panhandle, where he did not before if she wins the election. Abbott spoke about his push to reduce illegal immigration and pledged to continue to defy the current administration's efforts to derail what the state has put in effect.

In speaking about passing school choice, Abbott says that he seeks to continue his battle against indoctrination in the state schools and feels that the voucher system is a vital tool. He also spoke about his push to keep Texas business growing, praising the efforts in the state for the last decade. He says getting people in the Texas legislature, such as Fairly, is important.

“You can be the biggest help to me by sending reinforcement in the form of Caroline Fairly,” Abbott said. "She and I are going to work together to protect Texas and ensure that we keep Texas the land of opportunity and freedom.”

Caroline Fairly spoke to the crowd and emphasized that when she saw the seat was opening, it was important for her to make a difference in this role.

“These conservative values that you and I believe, we have to defend them,” Fairly said. "We do not want to defend these values; we want to promote them all over Texas. When you look around our country, there are a lot of woke ideologies being inundated upon our children. My faith and biblical values are the framework for what I believe. I believe that our faith is the only hope we have as a faith or a nation.”

She said that while many see her as too young for the role, she says she believes she is uniquely qualified for the job of representing the district. She cited her work with Jackson and her work in medical care in preparing her for this position.

“At the end of the day, if you cannot communicate well, build relationships, and essentially convince people why your bill should not be voted on, you will not be effective,” Fairly said. “I believe it's time for my generation to stand up.”

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Gov. Greg Abbott throws support behind Caroline Fairly in Amarillo