Four Price
Encyclopedia
Walter Thomas Price, IV, (born 1968), known as Four Price because he is the fourth generation in his family to bear the name Walter Thomas Price, is an attorney from Amarillo
, Texas
, who is the Republican
state representative
from District 87 in the Texas Panhandle
. The position was vacated in January 2011 by the retiring David Swinford
, a Republican from Dumas
, who did not seek reelection to an eleventh term.
in Amarillo. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration
degree from the University of Texas at Austin
and a Juris Doctor
from St. Mary's University School of Law
in San Antonio
. He and his wife, the former Karen Diane Mayfield (born ca. 1964), have four children, Brooke, Cody, Abby, and Curry, ranging in ages (as of 2010) from nineteen to eleven, respectively.
Price advocates the placing of government "on a diet. It doesn't tax too little -- it just spends too much." If elected, he vows to bring the "voice of the Panhandle" to state government. His familial roots in the Texas Panhandle
date to 1917, when his maternal great-grandfather, Jesse Benjamin Latham, settled his young family in Carson County
before relocating to Amarillo.
Price practices business and probate
law with the Amarillo firm Irwin, Merritt, Hogue, Price & Carthel, P.C. He previously practiced with Mullin, Hoard & Brown LLP in Amarillo and with Fulbright & Jaworski
in San Antonio. Price is a director of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, president of the Amarillo Area Bar Association, and a director of Cal Farley
's Boys Ranch Foundation. He is a member and former deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Amarillo. A former director of the Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, he is also a life member of the University of Texas Ex-Students Association. Price is an avid outdoorsman.
Campaigning for the March 2 primary, Price ran what he called "grass-roots efforts, we knocked on a lot of doors and focused on what is important to the people." He defeated Victor E. Leal (born March 22, 1962), an Amarillo/Canyon
businessman and the owner of Leal's Mexican Restaurants. Leal is also an appointee of Governor
Rick Perry
to the Texas Economic Development Corporation and the former mayor
of Muleshoe
in Bailey County
, where the restaurant chain was originated by his father, the late Jesse Leal. Price received 6,355 votes (55.2 percent) to Leal's 5,166 (44.8 percent). There were questions about Leal's residency, but the restauranteur carried the support of retiring Representative Swinford and former U.S. Representative Larry Combest
.
Leal said that the legislature needed more businesspeople like himself, instead of more lawyers like Price. However, Price retorted, "To say there's too many lawyers in the legislature is like saying there's too many doctors in a hospital."
In the general election, Price polled 16,978 votes (77.3 percent) to 4,145 (18.9 percent) for the Democrat
Abel G. Bosquez of Amarillo, and 830 (3.8 percent) for the Libertarian
James Hudspeth of Dumas.
Bosquez (born September 13, 1958) is a technician for Pantex. He was unopposed in his party's primary, having received 881 votes. The Republican primary turnout, however, was 11,521 ballots.
Price serves alongside Republican colleague Representative John T. Smithee
, also of Amarillo, who visited Price's home on the night of the primary election to offer support in the general election. "We had two outstanding candidates in this race, and I think either one of them would have done a super job. And you know Four has a good temperament and he has a hard work ethic
, and he's really as honest as you can be." Leal also offered his support for Price in the fall campaign.
Price joins three other newly-elected conservative state legislators from West Texas and the Panhandle, Jim Landtroop
of Plainview
and John Frullo
and Charles Perry
, both of Lubbock.
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, who is the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
state representative
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from District 87 in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
. The position was vacated in January 2011 by the retiring David Swinford
David Swinford
David Anthony Swinford is an agricultural consultant from the Texas Panhandle and a former member of the Texas House of Representatives...
, a Republican from Dumas
Dumas, Texas
Dumas is a city in Moore County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,747 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Moore County. Located approximately fifty miles north of Amarillo, the city is named for...
, who did not seek reelection to an eleventh term.
Background
Price graduated in 1986 from Tascosa High SchoolTascosa High School
Tascosa High School is a high school in Amarillo, Texas- Notable alumni :* Kevin Fowler, Class of 1984 - country musician*Paul Lockhart, Class of 1974 - former USAF test pilot and astronaut...
in Amarillo. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
degree from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from St. Mary's University School of Law
St. Mary's University School of Law
St. Mary's University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of St. Mary's University. The law school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and is the oldest Catholic law school in the American Southwest. The University is a private Catholic university...
in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He and his wife, the former Karen Diane Mayfield (born ca. 1964), have four children, Brooke, Cody, Abby, and Curry, ranging in ages (as of 2010) from nineteen to eleven, respectively.
Price advocates the placing of government "on a diet. It doesn't tax too little -- it just spends too much." If elected, he vows to bring the "voice of the Panhandle" to state government. His familial roots in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
date to 1917, when his maternal great-grandfather, Jesse Benjamin Latham, settled his young family in Carson County
Carson County, Texas
Carson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Amarillo metropolitan area. In 2000, its population was 6,516. Carson is named for Samuel Price Carson, the first secretary of state of the Republic of Texas. The seat of the county is Panhandle. It was founded in...
before relocating to Amarillo.
Price practices business and probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
law with the Amarillo firm Irwin, Merritt, Hogue, Price & Carthel, P.C. He previously practiced with Mullin, Hoard & Brown LLP in Amarillo and with Fulbright & Jaworski
Fulbright & Jaworski
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the largest law firms in the United States with nearly 1,000 attorneys in over 50 practice areas. The firm was founded in Houston in 1919 by R. C. Fulbright, an attorney working in railway regulation, and J.H. Crooker, a litigator...
in San Antonio. Price is a director of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, president of the Amarillo Area Bar Association, and a director of Cal Farley
Cal Farley
Cal Farley , called by some "America's Greatest Foster Father," founded in 1939 the residential childcare facility known as Boys Ranch, located near Old Tascosa, a largely otherwise abandoned community in Oldham County north of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.Farley was honored by the United States...
's Boys Ranch Foundation. He is a member and former deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Amarillo. A former director of the Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, he is also a life member of the University of Texas Ex-Students Association. Price is an avid outdoorsman.
Election history
District 87 encompasses part of Potter as well as Carson, Sherman, and Moore counties.Campaigning for the March 2 primary, Price ran what he called "grass-roots efforts, we knocked on a lot of doors and focused on what is important to the people." He defeated Victor E. Leal (born March 22, 1962), an Amarillo/Canyon
Canyon, Texas
Canyon is a city in Randall County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,875 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randall County. It is the home of West Texas A&M University and Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is some twelve miles east of Canyon...
businessman and the owner of Leal's Mexican Restaurants. Leal is also an appointee of Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
to the Texas Economic Development Corporation and the former mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Muleshoe
Muleshoe, Texas
Muleshoe is a small city in Bailey County, Texas, United States. The town of Muleshoe was founded in 1913 when the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway built an line from Farwell, Texas to Lubbock through northern Bailey County. In 1926, Muleshoe was incorporated. The population was 5,158 at the 2010...
in Bailey County
Bailey County, Texas
Bailey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2010, the population is 7,165. Its county seat is Muleshoe. Bailey is named for Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo...
, where the restaurant chain was originated by his father, the late Jesse Leal. Price received 6,355 votes (55.2 percent) to Leal's 5,166 (44.8 percent). There were questions about Leal's residency, but the restauranteur carried the support of retiring Representative Swinford and former U.S. Representative Larry Combest
Larry Combest
Larry Ed Combest is a retired Texas Republican U.S. politician who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 2003.-Early life:...
.
Leal said that the legislature needed more businesspeople like himself, instead of more lawyers like Price. However, Price retorted, "To say there's too many lawyers in the legislature is like saying there's too many doctors in a hospital."
In the general election, Price polled 16,978 votes (77.3 percent) to 4,145 (18.9 percent) for the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Abel G. Bosquez of Amarillo, and 830 (3.8 percent) for the Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
James Hudspeth of Dumas.
Bosquez (born September 13, 1958) is a technician for Pantex. He was unopposed in his party's primary, having received 881 votes. The Republican primary turnout, however, was 11,521 ballots.
Price serves alongside Republican colleague Representative John T. Smithee
John T. Smithee
John True Smithee is an Amarillo attorney who has been a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives since January 1985....
, also of Amarillo, who visited Price's home on the night of the primary election to offer support in the general election. "We had two outstanding candidates in this race, and I think either one of them would have done a super job. And you know Four has a good temperament and he has a hard work ethic
Work ethic
Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character. An example would be the Protestant work ethic...
, and he's really as honest as you can be." Leal also offered his support for Price in the fall campaign.
Price joins three other newly-elected conservative state legislators from West Texas and the Panhandle, Jim Landtroop
Jim Landtroop
James Franklin Landtroop, Jr., known as Jim Landtroop , is a businessman from Plainview, Texas, who is an in incoming Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 85 in the South Plains. In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Landtroop handily unseated two-term...
of Plainview
Plainview, Texas
Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Plainview is located at ....
and John Frullo
John Frullo
John Frullo is a businessman from Lubbock, Texas, who is a conservative Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 84, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus. Since 1993, Frullo has owned Midtown Printing Company in Lubbock...
and Charles Perry
Charles Perry (Texas politician)
Charles Lee Perry is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 83 based in Lubbock, Texas. A certified public accountant, Perry unseated incumbent Representative Delwin L. Jones, the oldest current member of the Texas House, in the April 13, 2010, runoff election. He...
, both of Lubbock.