AUSTIN, Texas (KLTV) – After serving public office for more than a decade, State Rep. Gary VanDeaver, announced his resignation, effective at the end of day Monday.
In a letter directed to the citizens of House District 1, VanDeaver (R-New Boston) wrote he delivered his resignation letter to Gov. Greg Abbott notifying him of the decision.
“Serving in the Texas House has been one of the great honors of my life,” the state representative wrote.
VanDeaver wrote that his reasons for leaving before his term expires in January is “two-fold.”
“First, the constituents of HD1 remain the priority and this decision will provide the opportunity for my successor to be better positioned to serve the great people of HD1,” he wrote. “Secondly, this decision will allow me to better prepare for life after the legislature as I continue to search for ways to make Texas a better place.”
VanDeaver went on to thank his staff and the friendship and support of “so many others.”
A retired lifelong educator, VanDeaver was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2015 after working for several school districts in Northeast Texas.
VanDeaver ran in the 2024 Republican primary against Chris Spencer and Dale Huls, eventually winning in a run-off against Spencer with 53.5$% of the vote while Spencer received 46.3%.
Last December, VanDeaver announced he would not seek re-election to a seventh term, stating he would serve out the remainder of his term until Jan. 1, 2027.
Spencer won the 2026 Republican primary against Josh Bray with 50.9% of the vote opposed to Bray’s 49.1%. He faces Democratic candidate Sean Huffman in November.
He was one of few Republicans to oppose the statewide school voucher program and one of five representatives censured by the Republican Party of Texas for opposing its priorities and supporting then-Texas Speaker Dade Phelan.
“May God continue to bless the great state of Texas!” he concluded in the letter.
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