State Rep. Gary VanDeaver announced Monday he is resigning from the Texas House of Representatives after more than a decade in office, with his resignation effective at the end of the day.
In a letter to the citizens of House District 1, VanDeaver said he submitted his resignation to Gov. Greg Abbott, notifying him of his decision to step down.
“Serving in the Texas House has been one of the great honors of my life,” VanDeaver said.
VanDeaver, who has represented House District 1 since 2015, announced in December he would not seek re-election to a seventh term and initially planned to remain in office until the end of his term until Jan. 1, 2027.
In Monday’s letter, VanDeaver said his decision to leave office early was “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 in the upcoming 90th legislative session. 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,” the letter states.
VanDeaver ran in the 2024 Republican primary against Chris Spencer and Dale Huls, winning in a run-off against Spencer.
Spencer won the 2026 Republican primary against Josh Bray and will now face Democrat Sean Huffman in November to represent District 1.
