Highland Park Grad Officially Begins Legislative Campaign
After 10 years in the state House, Rep. Dan Branch has decided to reach for a higher rung in the Texas political ladder as attorney general. That move has breathed new life into District 108, where young candidates such as Court Alley are eager to launch their own campaigns.
“It’s humbling, it’s encouraging, and it’s awesome because we have amazing support from younger people,” Alley said. “We have support from people that I’ve never met that were eager to get on board with our campaign; we have support from civic leaders, from business leaders, [and] from families, so I’m very, very encouraged.”
The Devonshire resident joins University Park dad Morgan Meyer on the list of official candidates. Highland Park native Chart Westcott and University Park Democrat Leigh Bailey have also voiced interest.
But for Alley, who officially launched his campaign on Sept. 12, conservative values, business experience, and fatherhood are the facets that propelled him to take on this challenge.
“I started my business in a 600-square-foot apartment, and now we work with … a myriad of companies not only around the state but around the country as well,” Alley said of his company, Caruth Marketing. “I understand that conservative values have brought Texas to the forefront and made us the nation’s leader in job creation, and I want to continue that.”
Aside from running his marketing business, Alley is a husband and father to 16-month-old Ford.
“With all sincerity, nothing has been more significant and encouraged me more than being a parent — I don’t say that lightly,” Alley said. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
If that weren’t enough to keep him busy, he’s also involved in the America’s Future Foundation, the Serve West Dallas Resource Team, and Brighter Dallas, a political action committee he founded in 2009. Leaders he met there are now stepping up to help with his campaign.
“I know without a doubt that he will engage young professionals and families across our state and our district to get engaged,” entrepreneur Lisa Luby Ryan said.
She ran for the District 108 the first time Branch considered vacating four years ago. Through campaigning, she met Alley at Brighter Dallas and got involved with its advisory board. This time around, she felt inspired to pass the torch.
“Court came to me straight away and said ‘Are you running?’ and I said, ‘No, but you should,’ ” Ryan recalled.
Today she works on Alley’s leadership committee, and she passionately believes his values will lead the way.
“Court has worked his way up and earned everything he has,” she said. “He knows what it’s like to have a budget at home. I think he will be a good steward of my money and the state’s money.”
For Alley, communication and connection are the most important goals of the campaign process. He’s already held a number of coffee meetings and looks forward to larger events in the future.
“I believe our vision for this race is a vision that brings people together, that encourages people, that it speaks to the better part of all of us,” Alley said. “We are going to make this state great.”
Court wrote a paper in middle school about politics and has been a “Straight A” student of politics ever since. He is conservative fiscally, as well as, socially and will make an excellent representative of the 108th district. If you haven’t yet had the chance to meet Court, his wife Mary Clare, and their son Ford, I highly recommend talking to them. You will immediately know why he’s the man for the job!
@Court Alley Fan. You highly recommend talking to their infant son?
I find that talking to infants is frequently more enjoyable than talking to adults.