Voters across the Texas Panhandle will have a choice to make this November as Republican State Rep. Caroline Fairly faces Democratic challenger Diana Loya in the race for Texas House District 87.
The contest brings together two candidates with different backgrounds and priorities. Fairly, a first-term lawmaker from Amarillo, is running on her legislative record and conservative principles. Loya, a longtime educator, is making her first bid for the seat with an emphasis on strengthening public schools, improving healthcare access and addressing the financial pressures facing Panhandle families.
District 87 includes Potter County and several surrounding Panhandle counties. The winner will represent the district in the 150-member Texas House of Representatives for the next two years.
With Election Day approaching on November 3, here's a closer look at the candidates and where they stand on issues affecting the region.
Caroline Fairly: Republican incumbent seeking a second term
Fairly entered the Texas House in January 2025 after winning the 2024 election to replace longtime Republican lawmaker Four Price.
An Amarillo native, Fairly graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in business marketing. Before entering the Legislature, she worked on Congressman Ronny Jackson's campaign and in his Washington office. She has also worked as a medical claims negotiator.
Fairly made education policy a significant part of her first legislative session. One of her most notable accomplishments was helping lead legislation restricting students' use of cellphones and other personal communication devices during the school day.
Her broader political platform emphasizes parental rights, religious liberty, Second Amendment protections and border security.
Fairly has supported giving parents more control over their children's education, including expanded school choice. She has also advocated for additional resources and technology to strengthen security along the Texas-Mexico border.
Her campaign reflects the conservative positions that helped her win the seat in 2024, when she defeated Democrat Timothy Gassaway.
Fairly ran unopposed in the March Republican primary, allowing her to focus on the general election and her bid for another term in Austin.
Diana Loya: Democrat emphasizing education and rural communities
Loya brings a background in public education to the race, having worked in several instructional and leadership roles with Dumas Independent School District.
She earned a bachelor's degree in bilingual education from West Texas A&M University and graduate degrees from Texas Woman's University and Angelo State University.
Her experience in education forms the foundation of her campaign.
Loya argues that rural schools need stronger state funding, competitive teacher salaries and policies that help districts recruit and retain qualified educators.
She opposes school voucher proposals, arguing that directing public resources toward private education could further strain rural school districts already dealing with limited budgets and staffing shortages.
Healthcare is another major part of her platform. Loya supports stable funding for rural hospitals and clinics, improved emergency and maternal care, and incentives to attract medical professionals to underserved communities.
As the wife of a Marine veteran, Loya has also made veterans' services a campaign priority, particularly access to healthcare and mental health resources.
On property taxes, she supports shifting more of the responsibility for funding public education to the state to reduce pressure on local homeowners.
Loya was unopposed in the Democratic primary and has received an endorsement from the Amarillo Central Labor Council.
Different approaches to education and state government
Education stands out as one of the clearest differences between the candidates.
Fairly supports expanding parental authority over educational decisions and has backed school choice policies. Loya believes the state should prioritize additional funding for traditional public schools, particularly those serving smaller rural communities.
The candidates also approach state government from different perspectives. Fairly emphasizes conservative social policies, individual freedoms and border enforcement, while Loya focuses on public services, economic pressures and support for working families.
Both candidates recognize the importance of the Texas Panhandle, but their proposals offer voters different ideas about how the region should be represented in Austin.
What voters need to know
Early voting begins October 19 and continues through October 30. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
For Fairly, the election is an opportunity to build on her first term and continue advancing conservative legislation. For Loya, it's a chance to bring an educator's perspective to the Capitol and challenge Republican control of the seat.
