Abbott-Endorsed Candidate’s Wife Donated to Mothers Against Greg Abbott

The wife of a Pearland Republican endorsed by Governor Greg Abbott donated $41 to the Mothers Against Greg Abbott group in 2022, donation records show.

Alex Kamkar is a staunch Republican looking to represent the newly redrawn House District 29 as incumbent Ed Thompson declined to run for re-election. The expanded district now includes Jamaica Beach, Freeport, and Lake Jackson. Four Republicans are vying for the nomination in the primary, including Pearland ISD School Board member Jeffrey Barry, special education advocate Edgar Pacheco Jr., and Kamkar’s fellow Pearland City Council Member Trent Perez.

Of the four, Abbott chose Kamkar to support with a full-throated endorsement.

“Alex Kamkar is a true conservative fighter who will be a crucial ally in helping me pass conservative priorities in Austin,” said Governor Abbott in a statement. “As a successful businessman and Pearland City Council member, Alex understands that cutting property taxes is crucial to our state’s economic success. I know I can count on Alex to help me secure our southern border and expand school choice for all Texas families. Please join me in supporting Alex Kamkar for State Representative from House District 29.”

Kamkar was previously reprimanded by a unanimous vote of the Pearland City Council for unauthorized release of city manager semifinalists to the  Pearland Police Officers Association. Council Member Joseph Koza accused Kamkar of doing so for political gain.

“In my wildest dreams, I don’t know why anyone would release this information except for self interest,” Koza said in a May 2023 meeting. “This release of confidential information has broken the trust of fellow council members, city staff involved in the process and the citizens of Pearland.”

On his website, Kamkar plays up his family life, particularly with his wife Nikki. She appears in multiple photographs along with their three sons and serves as his treasurer.

However, it looks like Nikki Kamkar might not appreciate Abbott’s blessing. According to OpenSecrets.org, Nikki donated $41 to the Mothers Against Greg Abbott organization in August 2022. The group launched in 2021 as a response to Abbott’s repeal of mask mandates, but quickly expanded into reproductive choice and gun control activism. They became national figures thanks to their fundraising and a series of hard-hitting dramatic ads that showed what life was like in Texas under Abbott.

Prior to her husband’s bid for the House seat, Nikki Kamkar was primarily known for her work with the Forever Parks Foundation, a group that works on building playgrounds that are accessible to a wide variety of physical needs. They opened the Ed Thompson Inclusive Park in Pearland in April 2023.

Though Nikki Kamkar doesn’t have much of a social media presence, she displayed a sticker on her Facebook profile in September 2021 that showed she was vaccinated against COVID-19, changing it to a booster sticker in December. This was right around the time that Abbott banned any sort of vaccine mandate in the state of Texas. Though the governor assured the public through a tweet that the vaccine was “safe, effective, & our best defense against the virus,” his fight against mandates endeared him to the anti-vaccination conspiracy set. It’s possible that Nikki Kamkar was making a subtle rebuke to the governor through her pic.

The Texas Republican Primary takes place March 5.