About Us

About TXIR

Texans for Individual Rights is dedicated to promoting conservative principles through sound public policy. We strongly believe in limited government, personal accountability, and private property rights. We are deeply concerned with the recent trend of wealthy special interest groups who masquerade as conservatives promoting their agenda at the expense of Texas taxpayers, workers, and consumers.

Our Issues

Civil Justice Reform

Texans for Individual Rights strongly believes in an individual’s right to access the civil justice system and have a dispute heard by a jury of his peers. We oppose any attempt to restrict access to the civil justice system or to weaken the role of citizen juries in deciding the outcome of disputes.

Private Property Rights

Texans for Individual Rights believes that one of the fundamental rights in a free and prosperous society is the right of individuals to own property. However, projects such as the “Trans-Texas Corridor” and court decisions such as “Kelo v. New London” show that this right is in serious jeopardy. We strongly oppose the seizure of private property for the financial benefit of business interests.

Corporate Welfare

Texans for Individual Rights believes that the best way to achieve a business friendly climate in Texas is through low taxes and minimal government regulation. We do not believe that state funds should be used to subsidize businesses through programs such as the “Texas Enterprise Fund.” Furthermore, we believe that state contracts should be awarded based on who provides the best value for the state, not who’s lobbyists are the most powerful.

Our Leadership

Mark McCaig
President and Co-Founder

Longtime conservative activist Mark McCaig serves as President of Texans for Individual Rights, overseeing the organization’s day-to-day operations. Prior to co-founding TXIR, Mark served on the staff of a United States Congressman.

A graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Marketing, Mark began his involvement in the conservative movement as a teenager in Houston, Texas. While a student at Texas A&M, Mark served in a number of leadership positions in several organizations, including the Young Conservatives of Texas and the Texas Federation of College Republicans. His grassroots experience also includes volunteer work on many political campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels. An active Republican, Mark has been elected as a delegate to both the 2004 and 2006 Republican Party of Texas state conventions.

Mark is also a published writer, whose op-ed pieces have appeared in several papers across the state. He was also a regular columnist for “The Battalion”, the daily student newspaper at Texas A&M University and former editor-and-chief of “Texaminer”, a conservative newspaper at Texas A&M.

Matthew Griffing
Chairman and Co-Founder

Matthew Griffing has broad political experience in conservative politics. As a college freshman at the University of Texas at Dallas, he became an intern for State Representative Jerry Madden (R-Plano) in 1995. Griffing enjoyed the policymaking process and worked through college as a staff member to Representative Madden in 1997 and later for then-State Representative Elvira Reyna (R-Mesquite). In 1998, Griffing became involved in the Republican Party of Texas became an alternate delegate to the Republican State Convention and has been a delegate to every convention since. In 1999, Griffing earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from UT-Dallas.

In 2000, Griffing entered Baylor University School of Law and joined the Young Conservatives of Texas. During his tenure in the Baylor YCT chapter, Griffing participated in debates, volunteered in several campaigns, and served as Managing Editor of the Baylor Review, a YCT publication.

In late 2000, YCT State Chairman Chris Allen appointed Griffing to the State Board. Griffing was a critical officer in every facet of the organization’s legislative operations under three state chairmen. Prior to the 2001, 2003, and 2005 legislative sessions, he assisted in drafting the organization’s legislative agendas. During session, he lobbied the Legislature for YCT and drafted position papers. After each session, Griffing served on the YCT Legislative Ratings Committee, where he helped craft YCT’s highly-respected legislative ratings. During campaign season Griffing assisted in drafting the organization’s candidate questionnaires, chaired several candidate interviewing committees, and volunteered on campaigns. Griffing retired from YCT in 2006, after serving his last two years as Vice Chairman for Legislative Affairs.

Griffing earned his Juris Doctor from Baylor in 2002, and currently practices law in Austin, while serving on the governing board of the Texas Legal Foundation.