Pat Fallon

Patrick Edward Fallon (born December 19, 1967)[1] is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the U.S. representative for Texas's 4th congressional district since 2021. He had previously served the 30th District of the Texas Senate since 2019. Fallon has also been a member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 106.[2]

Pat Fallon
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 4th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2021
Preceded by	John Ratcliffe
Member of the Texas Senate from the 30th district
In office January 8, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Preceded by	Craig Estes
Succeeded by	Drew Springer
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 106th district
In office January 8, 2013 – January 8, 2019
Preceded by	Rodney Anderson
Succeeded by	Jared Patterson
Personal details
Born	Patrick Edward Fallon December 19, 1967 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Susan Garner
Children	2
Education	University of Notre Dame (BA)
Website	House website
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Rank	Second lieutenant
Awards	Air Force Achievement Medal

Early life and education

Fallon was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.[3] Both of his parents were public school teachers, and he was raised in rural areas.[4]

Fallon earned his bachelor's degree in government and international relations from the University of Notre Dame.[1] At Notre Dame, Fallon played varsity football under coach Lou Holtz and was part of the 1988 national championship team. He ran a t-shirt business as a student and participated in campus political activities. He was a cadet in the Reserve Officers Training Corps of the United States Air Force. Subsequently, he served as a second lieutenant for four years, during which he received the Air Force Achievement Medal.[5]

Career

After college, Fallon relocated to Denton County, Texas in the early 1990s. He is the president and chief executive officer of Virtus Apparel, a company that specializes in clothing of military and patriotic design. Based in Prosper, Texas, it has a dozen national locations and about one hundred total employees.[5][6]

Politics

In 2009, Fallon launched a grassroots campaign which netted him 57 percent of the vote to defeat three opponents for an at-large seat on the Frisco City Council. In the Denton County portion of Frisco, which consists of about one-third of the voters in House District 106, Fallon polled 65 percent of the vote.[5] In his first year on the city council, Fallon voted against a tax rate increase. In 2010, he voted against a city budget that would have increased the municipal debt.[7] In May 2011, his council colleagues selected him to serve as Mayor Pro Tem.[5]

In 2012 Pat began a long practice of allegedly not living in the district he represents. Specifically, a D Magazine article in 2012 asked "Is Pat Fallon a Perjurer?" describing this habit of falsifying his residency. That same year, Fallon won the Republican nomination in the reconfigured District 106, in which incumbent Republican Rodney Anderson of Grand Prairie did not run. Instead, Anderson waited two years unseated incumbent Republican Linda Harper-Brown in the 2014 primary election in neighboring District 105.[8] Fallon won the general election on November 6, 2012, 41,785 (83.2 percent) against Libertarian Party nominee Rodney Caston's 8,455 votes (16.8 percent). Fallon faced no Democratic Party opponent in the election.[9]

Fallon was the co-author of a 2013 Texas law which allows students and employees of independent school districts to say, "Merry Christmas", rather than the secular "Happy Holidays."[10]

Fallon ran unopposed for the Republican nomination in 2014 and defeated Democrat Lisa Osterholt and Libertarian Rodney Caston in the general election, winning 24,419 votes, almost 70 percent of the popular vote.[11][12] In the 2016 Republican primary, Fallon defeated challenger Trent Trubenbach with 16,106 votes (82.9 percent) to Tubenbach's 3,327 votes (17.1 percent).[13] He went on to win the general election with 80.8 percent of the vote.[14]

In July 2017, Fallon announced that he would challenge incumbent state Senator Craig Estes for the Republican nomination in Senate District 30.[15] Fallon defeated Estes and Nocona businessman Craig Carter in the primary on March 6, 2018, with 53,881 votes (62 percent). In the ensuing general election on November 6, Fallon defeated the Bridgeport Democrat Kevin Lopez. With 233,949 votes (73.9 percent), Fallon overwhelmed Lopez, who drew 82,449 votes (26.1 percent).[16]Fallon served on the House committees on Human Services and Technology.[1]

Legislative positions

Fallon defended his "Merry Christmas" law in an appearance on David Barton's WallBuilders Live radio program. Fallon told co-host Rick Green, a former member of the Texas House from Hays County in suburban Austin, that those offended by public schools hosting Christmas parties should examine their own hearts to evaluate their attitudes. Both Fallon and Green said that no citizen has a constitutional right "not to be offended" Fallon vowed to make T-shirts with a Christmas theme for pupils to wear on the day before the holiday break.[17]

A pro-life legislator, Fallon supported in 2013 the ban on abortion after twenty weeks of gestation; the measure passed the House, 96-49. He co-sponsored companion legislation to increase medical and licensing requirements of abortion providers,[18] a measure which opponents claim will cause some abortion clinics in the state to close their doors. These issues brought forth an unsuccessful filibuster in the Texas State Senate by Wendy R. Davis of Fort Worth who in 2014 was the Democratic nominee for governor opposite the Republican Greg Abbott, the choice of Fallon.[19] The Texas Right to Life Committee rated Fallon 100 percent favorable.[20]

Fallon opposed the bill to establish a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for public schools; the measure passed the House, 73-58. He co-sponsored legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. He co-sponsored the successful bill to extend the franchise tax exemption to certain small businesses. He voted to require testing for narcotics of those individuals receiving unemployment compensation.[18]

Fallon co-sponsored the measure to forbid the state from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. He co-sponsored legislation to allow college and university officials to carry concealed weapons on campus and in vehicles in the name of security. He voted to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. Fallon voted for term limits for certain state officials. To protect election integrity, Fallon supported legislation to forbid an individual from turning in multiple ballots.[18]

Comments on the LGBTQ Community

In 2018, Fallon was criticized[21] for his remarks about fellow Texas Congresswoman, Rep. Mary González, an openly pansexual woman, while delivering a speech to the local Wichita County Republican Women's group. The El Paso Times quoted Fallon:

"You can’t be gay anymore. It’s like the whole alphabet soup now — lesbian, transgender, bisexual, questioning. There’s something called pansexual."

Fallon later apologized,[22] characterizing his remarks as "It was an innocent little comment about mocking the labeling, not a person."

Interest group ratings

In 2015 Fallon was named one of "The 3 Worst North Texas Legislators" by D Magazine. It stated that "Fallon has a lawyerlike relationship with the truth" and was "vindictive, and he’ll say anything to get what he wants ".

This is in contrast to Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, managed in Texas by Cathie Adams, a former state chairman of the Texas Republican Party and a Fallon supporter,[23] which rated Fallon 95 percent. The Young Conservatives of Texas scored him 92 percent. The Texas League of Conservation Voters rated him 25 percent; Environment Texas, 28 percent. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility rated Fallon 98 percent; the Texas Association of Business, 80 percent. The National Rifle Association rated him 92 percent.[20]

U.S. House of Representatives

2020

In May 2020, Fallon launched a campaign for Texas's 4th congressional district to replace former U.S. Representative John Ratcliffe, who was successfully nominated to serve as the Director of National Intelligence. On August 8, 2020, Fallon was selected to replace Ratcliffe on the November ballot by the 16 county Republican Party chairs in the district, winning the nomination with 82 votes to his nearest opponent's 34.[24] Fallon faced Democrat Russell Foster in the November general election. However, according to The Texas Tribune, the district was so heavily Republican that the county Republican chairs effectively chose Ratcliffe's successor when they chose Fallon to replace Ratcliffe as the Republican nominee.[25]

As expected, Fallon won the general election in a landslide, taking 75 percent of the vote to Foster's 22 percent. When he takes office, he will be only the sixth person to represent this district since its creation in 1903.

Tenure

On January 6th, 2021, the same day as the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Fallon, along with 147 of his fellow congressional Republicans, voted to block certification of the results for Joe Biden's 2020 victory, as part of the Trump led effort to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.[26]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services[27]

Personal life

Fallon is married to Susan Kimberly Garner. The couple have two sons and claim to live in Prosper, an outer suburb of Dallas.[1] However, it is also claimed that he allegedly lives in the portion of Frisco, Texas where his children attend school, that is outside the 4th's boundaries and the State Senate district he represented. While candidates for Congress are only required to live in the state they wish to represent, longstanding convention holds that they live either in or reasonably close to the district they wish to represent.

Fallon is affiliated with the Holy Cross Catholic Church in The Colony. He is a donor to Dallas Baptist University, Frisco Family Services, and the Boys and Girls Club of America.[5]

References

1. "Pat Fallon's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
2. "Pat Fallon". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
3. Choate, Trish. "Pat Fallon: Democrats 'inherently evil' in approach to race". Times Record News. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
4. "The Texas State Senate – Senator Pat Fallon: District 30". senate.texas.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
5. "Pat Fallon". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
6. "Virtus Apparel". Facebook. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
7. "Records on Display in New 106". fallonfortexas.com. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
8. "Republican primary election returns, May 29, 2012 (House District 106)". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
9. "General election returns, November 6, 2012 (House District 106)". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
10. "Frisco school's party flap leads to touting of 'Merry Christmas' law". Dallas News. 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
11. "2014 Republican Party Primary Election". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
12. "2014 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
13. "2016 Republican Party Primary Election". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
14. "2016 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
15. "Frisco's Pat Fallon poised to challenge Wichita Falls' Craig Estes in bruising GOP Senate primary". Dallas News. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
16. "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
17. "Kyle Mantyla, Warriors For Christmas: Texas State Rep. Pat Fallon Leads The Battle In The 'War On Christmas', December 13, 2013". People for the American Way. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
18. "Pat Fallon's Voting Records". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
19. Fernandez, M. (June 25, 2013). "Filibuster in Texas Senate Tries to Halt Abortion Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
20. "Pat Fallon's Ratings and Endorsements". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
21. Borunda, Daniel; Choate, Trish (16 October 2018). "Texas state Rep. Pat Fallon jokes about LGBTQ pansexual El Paso state Rep. Mary González". El Paso Times. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
22. Mekelburg, Madlin (17 October 2018). "State Rep. Pat Fallon apologizes for LGBTQ joke about El Paso state Rep. Mary González". El Paso Times. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
23. "Endorsements". fallonfortexas.com. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
24. Svitek, Patrick (2020-08-08). "Texas State Sen. Pat Fallon wins GOP nomination to replace John Ratcliffe on November ballot, becoming Ratcliffe's likely successor". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
25. Svitek, Patrick (2020-05-13). "Race to replace U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe gathers steam as Republican activists set date to pick his likely successor". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
26. Yourish, Karen; Buchanan, Larry; Lu, Denise (7 January 2021). "The 147 Republicans Who Voted to Overturn Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
27. "Fallon Nominated to Serve on House Armed Services Committee | Representative Pat Fallon". fallon.house.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-01.

External links

• Representative Pat Fallon, official U.S. House website
• Pat Fallon for Congress
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress