Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Brian Haley of Austin to a vacant position on Texas’ Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Haley, an investment company executive, has served on a series of boards in the Austin area related to the arts and UT-Austin.
Haley has extensive experience fundraising for moderate Republicans, primarily John McCain. During the current election cycle, however, Haley has branched out to finance Democrats.
According to campaign finance data, Haley has donated to three candidates during the 2026 election cycles: Kelly Hancock and Jim Wright, both of whom lost Republican primaries, and Democrat state representative candidate Josh Wallenstein.
According to his campaign website, Wallenstein is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, the AFL-CIO, and a series of anti-Christian and anti-Second Amendment groups.
Wallenstein is running against Republican incumbent Mano DeAyala for the Houston-area seat. A national Democrat campaign committee announced last week that this district was a target for the 2026 election cycle.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board oversees a series of functions related to the state’s taxpayer-subsidized universities.
