2025 Globe-News Man of the Year: Four Price made difference in Capitol
In 7 terms, Price represented Panhandle, strengthened region This story has been updated with new information Four Price was never the loudest voice in the Texas Capitol. But across seven terms in the House of Representatives — spanning mental health, water policy, education, veterans’ services and telemedicine — he built something harder to measure on paper: enduring trust shaped by listening, collaboration and steady leadership that outlasts any single session.
For his long-standing contributions to the community, Price has been named the 2025 Amarillo Globe-News Man of the Year. Price will be honored, along with 2025 Woman of the Year Glenda Moore and other award recipients, at anin-person luncheon ceremony in January.
The awards are presented by FirstBank Southwest. A fourth-generation Texan born and raised in Amarillo, Price was first elected in 2010 to represent House District 87.
He chose not to seek an eighth term and completed his legislative service in January 2025. During that time, he represented eight Panhandle counties and served on 17 committees — including six House Select Committees — chairing or co-chairing six, among them the House Appropriations Article 2 Subcommittee overseeing Health & Human Services, the Select Committee on Mental Health and the House Calendars Committee.
Price said the motivation to run came not from ambition, but from a love of policy and local impact. “I always cared about making a difference where laws and lives intersect,” he said. “Representing the Panhandle was a privilege. It still is.” Price has gone by “Four” since birth — not for politics, but to distinguish him from his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, all named Walter Price.
He said the name became less of a label and more of a reminder: that he stood on the shoulders of those before him, and was responsible for those after him. Price graduated early from Tascosa High School, attended the University of Texas at Austin and later earned his law degree from St.
Mary’s University. In 1998, his life took a sudden turn when his first wife, Camille, died during a flood in San Antonio just weeks after their son was born.
He returned to Amarillo to raise his children near family and later married Karen Mayfield — a chapter he says restored his faith and helped redefine his sense of purpose. “It reminded me what truly matters,” he said. “Family, faith and community aren’t just values. They’re direction.” Former Globe-News journalist Jon Mark Beilue wrote about that turning point in a 2015 profile — documenting how loss did not harden Price, but instead made his leadership more personal.
Those who’ve worked with him say that experience gave him empathy without ego, and a steady resolve that shaped how he approached every conversation and vote that followed. Over the years, Price helped secure funding for the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine and worked tirelessly to move a state mental health hospital from idea to reality — work he said took “a team of collaborators who never let the momentum fade.” He said every hour of committee work mattered once construction began.
In June 2025, five months after leaving office, Price stood alongside city and county leaders at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $159 million Panhandle State Hospital — a 250-bed facility set to open in 2027. “Years of hard work becoming reality,” Price wrote in a post on X that day, underscoring the broader mission to shift mental health treatment away from jails and toward dedicated care. Price also authored legislation that reduced the cost of prescription drugs, expanded access to telehealth and strengthened mental health parity.
In 2023, he joined 20 fellow Republicans in blocking school voucher proposals — a rare rural GOP pushback that helped protect funding for public districts across the Panhandle. Colleagues said it reflected his method: steady facts over noise.
Yet he consistently pointed to broader teamwork. “I didn’t accomplish anything alone,” he said. “This work never belongs to one person. It’s always a team effort.” King
Hill — “You never had to go through a gatekeeper.” King Hill, educator and community advocate who now serves as public relations director for River Road ISD, said what set Price apart wasn’t just what he accomplished — but how he treated people. “He was remarkable and humble,” Hill said. “You could pick up the phone, and he’d listen.
That mattered to people more than they realize.” Hill said accessibility wasn’t symbolic — it was leadership in practice. “He didn’t perform politics. He practiced responsibility,” Hill said. “He believed serving people is something you owe your community, not something you do to get recognition.” Hill said Price’s presence at the mental health hospital groundbreaking revealed why the effort mattered. “He reminded people that our area carries deep need — families in crisis, law enforcement carrying more than their share,” Hill said. “You could tell it meant something to him personally that dirt is finally moving.” That consistency, Hill said, shaped his legacy. “He never looked for a spotlight.
He looked for solutions,” he said. “That’s why the impact will outlast any ribbon-cutting.” Nancy
Tanner — “He didn’t seek credit. He sought outcomes.” Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner said Price’s leadership became clear early in her tenure, especially on mental health.
She first heard him speak about the crisis in the region nearly 11 years ago — and said that moment helped shape her own approach in office. “I learned quickly that he had a deep, sincere understanding of mental health and the crisis in our region,” Tanner said. “When I started, I leaned on his knowledge — and it mattered. We couldn’t have gotten the momentum we have today without his help.” She said Price never pushed for attention — only results. “He was a great partner and advocate in making this happen,” Tanner said of the new mental health facility. “Even after leaving office, you can still see his fingerprints on it.
That speaks volumes.” What stood out most, Tanner said, was his demeanor in the face of pressure. “He never raised his voice. He listened.
He responded,” she said. “That’s why people trusted him — because they knew he was steady.” Tanner said that kind of leadership built long-term impact. “Four was unstoppable when something needed to get done, but always in a gentlemanly way,” she said. “He will always be a benefit to the Panhandle — and to me personally.” Beth
Duke — “He helped Amarillo find its voice.” Center City Executive Director Beth Duke said Price made sure Austin never overlooked Amarillo — especially when it came to identity, culture and long-term investment. His support helped the city earn its Texas cultural district designation — the first north of Lubbock — and gain recognition as a tourism- and music-friendly city. “He helped this community find its voice,” Duke said. “He connected culture, professionalism and advocacy in a way that showed the Capitol who we really are.” Duke said that approach reflected who he was personally — not just politically. “He puts family first and faith first — and he does it without needing to talk about it,” Duke said. “He’s the same person in Market Street as he is in Austin.
That’s rare.” She said Price demonstrated what she hopes future leaders will emulate. “He helped people see possibility,” Duke said. “That may be his greatest gift — opening doors so others might walk through them.” Nominating him for Man of the Year, she said, was about honoring more than tenure. “He may have moved zip codes, but he never left Amarillo,” Duke said. “He carries it with him. And I don’t think he’ll ever truly leave his Amarillo roots.” Those who worked with him say his legacy was built not only on legislation — but on relationships.
Price said it was the only path that ever made sense. “Good policy comes from honest conversations,” he said. “Listening and collaboration allow facts to rise above noise. That’s how things get done — and how communities make progress.” On his final full day in office — Jan. 13, 2025 — Price shared a single image of the House chamber with the words: “Thank you, HD87.
It’s been a huge privilege to serve.” He handed off to Rep. Caroline Fairly the next morning.
No press event. No farewell speech.
Just gratitude. Four and his wife, Karen, recently moved to Central Texas to be nearer their four children and three grandchildren.
He continues his work with Amarillo National Bank — but even with a new zip code, he said, Amarillo still defines him. “It’s the heart of who I am,” he said. “The grit, the generosity, the independence — that’s the Panhandle. I was lucky to serve it.
That doesn’t end when you leave office.” Price was named multiple times to Texas Monthly’s “Top 10 Best Legislators” list — regularly praised for calm professionalism and measured, bipartisan leadership. But he said awards were never his aim. “If something we worked on made life better for somebody, that was enough,” he said.
Hill said that legacy will endure long after headlines fade. “Four Price didn’t just serve,” he said. “He strengthened this region.
And that will remain long after any of us are gone.”