Mayor R. Rex Parris is an exceptional, innovative leader. With a strong sense of dedication to public service, he tirelessly works towards enhancing the quality of life for the residents of Lancaster, transforming the City into a beacon of progress, sustainability, and prosperity. R. Rex believes it is the responsibility of leadership to create a place that fosters opportunities for everyone in Lancaster to flourish. He believes that when people are given the chance to thrive, there are no limits to what they can achieve together.
During his initial terms as Mayor, R. Rex spearheaded the restoration of Lancaster, resulting in an 84% reduction in gang violence and a 37% decrease in serious crime. He transformed the downtown area into a vibrant community marketplace where tens of thousands gather to enjoy community events.
R. Rex donates his mayoral salary to the Mayors Scholarship Fund for Lancaster’s young people. He pays all his own expenses, including the cost of numerous international trips returning with billions of dollars of investments into Lancaster’s economy and creating thousands of mortgage-paying jobs in Lancaster.
Rex’s primary goal is to restore Lancaster to the vibrant community he grew up in while transforming it into a safe and modern City. He envisions a day soon when everyone who wants a good job can have one.
Recognizing his innovative endeavors, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, acknowledged Mayor R. Rex Parris as the most innovative mayor in America. GQ magazine recognized R. Rex Parris as one of the ten most influential mayors in the country.
Driven by the desire to make gas and electric power more affordable for residents struggling to heat and cool their homes, R. Rex created Lancaster Choice Energy. The City now offers green energy to Lancaster citizens at reduced costs. Many other cities have sought Lancaster's assistance in providing this service to their residents, resulting in substantial income for the City.
Lancaster soon became the first city in the world to achieve "net zero" status. Lancaster is retrofitting homes to become independent of the grid. Residents choosing this service benefit from substantially reduced monthly electric bills, with guaranteed fixed rates for 20 years. Lancaster is a pioneer in providing this exceptional service to its residents.
R. Rex’s beliefs are rooted in his personal journey. Born and raised in Lancaster, he experienced a childhood marked by poverty and adversity. A single mother raised him and his three brothers after their father abandoned the family. He dropped out of high school in the 10th grade to work in a local restaurant. He later attended Antelope Valley College at night. From there, he transferred to UCSB, where he was invited into the prestigious UCSB Scholars Program, making him the only person admitted to the Scholars Program without a high school diploma. R. Rex pursued a career in law, returning to Lancaster with his wife Carrol to establish the highly regarded Parris Law Firm while starting a family of their own.
Throughout his legal career, R. Rex earned a reputation for securing landmark victories in personal injury and consumer protection cases. He achieved an unprecedented, unbroken series of 8 and 9-figure verdicts in personal injury cases, solidifying his position as a national leader in safeguarding the rights of hard-working families.
R. Rex has consistently shared his success with the hard-working families of the Antelope Valley. With his wife Carrol, he has donated millions of dollars to local organizations, primarily focusing on empowering young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Countless young people completed their education with Carrol and Rex’s help.
A few years ago, R. Rex’s wife, Carrol, received an incurable fibrotic lung disease diagnosis. R. Rex believes, with the grace of God, anything is possible. Motivated by this belief, he set out to identify leading universities conducting advanced medical research in autoimmune and fibrotic diseases. He then gave them the money to bring their research out of the lab. Ultimately leading to the creation of a company named CarthroniX. CarthroniX is now a cutting-edge biotech company that has since developed multiple groundbreaking drugs. Its CX-11 drug is a treatment for arthritis entering human trials in late 2023. The team at CarthroniX is confident this drug cures arthritis. CarthroniX now has additional drugs in the pipeline targeting pulmonary fibrosis and metastatic cancer.
Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of medical research, R. Rex and his wife recently funded ReParris, a pioneering biotech firm dedicated to developing innovative drugs that slow down the aging process. This groundbreaking venture epitomizes Rex’s dedication to harnessing the power of science and technology to empower hard-working people.
Throughout his multifaceted career, R. Rex Parris has exemplified an unyielding pursuit of excellence, a fervent passion for innovation, and an unwavering commitment to making a lasting, positive impact on the lives of others. As a loving husband, devoted father, hard-working public servant, and accomplished attorney, he continues to leave an indelible mark on his community.
