Resolution of Concurrence with the Censure of State Representative Gary VanDeaver

WHEREAS, Rule No. 44 of the Republican Party of Texas states that “a County or District Executive

Committee may, after no less than seven (7) days’ notice and invitation to the Officeholder to appear

and be provided time to speak before a County or District Executive Committee, by a two-thirds (2/3)

vote of those constituent Executive Committee Precinct Chairs present and voting, but in no case by

less than a majority of constituent Precinct Chairs of the County Executive Committee (CEC) in full,

adopt a resolution censuring a Republican public Officeholder representing all or a portion of that

County or District for three (3) or more actions taken during the Officeholder’s current term in

opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas defined in the Preamble of the Party

Platform as described in Rule No. 43A or to the Legislative Priorities adopted at the most recent State

Convention as described in Rule No. 34(c)”; and

WHEREAS, within Texas House District 1, both the Red River County and Morris County Republican

Parties passed resolutions to censure State Representative Gary VanDeaver under the provisions of

Rule No. 44 and requested the concurrence of the SREC; and

WHEREAS, The constituent Precinct Chairs of House District 1 of the Lamar County Republican

Party, at the meeting of the Lamar County Republican Party Executive Committee on September 6,

2025, Executive Committee meeting, passed a “Resolution to Censure State Representative House

District 1 – Gary VanDeaver,” which identified, among other grievances, the following six actions

taken during the Officeholder’s current term (which began on January 14, 2025) in violation of the

Principles or Legislative Priorities of the Republican Party of Texas:

1. On January 14, 2025, Representative VanDeaver did not vote for the elected Republican Caucus

nominee David Cook for Speaker of the Texas House, but instead voted for Representative

Dustin Burrows, who was not the Republican Caucus nominee for House Speaker, a disregard

for RPT Principle 5 “Personal accountability and responsibility” and a violation of 2024 RPT

Platform Plank 213 which calls for Republican House Members to vote as a “unified body” for

the Caucus selected Speaker; and

2. On January 23, 2025, Representative VanDeaver voted in favor of the Previous Question

motion, enabling the so-called “nuclear option,” wherein debate was cut off to exclude

Republican perfecting amendments to the Rules of the 89th House Legislative Session, and

approving Democrat only Committee vice chairs, in opposition to RPT Legislative Priority #4

“No Democrat Chairs,” adopted at the 2024 Republican Party of Texas State Convention

(Record Vote 9); on January 23, 2025, Representative VanDeaver also voted in favor of HR 4,

Rules that required compulsory appointment of solely minority party Committee vice chairs

13. 4. 5. 6. awarding them sweeping new powers and authority (per HR 4, Rule 4, Sec 4A), a disregard for

the intent of RPT Legislative Priority #4 “No Democrat Chairs” and Platform Plank 213(b);

and

On March 10, 2025, the last action on HB 1304 was a referral to the House Public Health

Committee, through which Committee Chairman VanDeaver ended the bill’s progress; his

inaction on HB 1304 in the Committee was in opposition to RPT Legislative Priority #8 “End

Federal Overreach” regarding medical freedom; the bill would have required labeling of certain

products containing or derived from aborted human fetal tissue; and

On April 23, 2025, Representative VanDeaver voted in favor of HB 805 (relating to a study by

the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the interconnection of electric transmission service

facilities with the United Mexican States); the Democrat-sponsored bill was unanimously

opposed by the SREC Legislative Priorities Committee and therefore, his vote in favor was an

action in opposition to the RPT Legislative Priority to “Secure the Electric Grid” (Record Vote

392); and

On April 30, 2025, Representative VanDeaver voted in favor of HB 366, a bill that “creates a

criminal offense on certain political advertising that contains altered media”; a vote for this bill

violates RPT Principle 1 “…strict adherence to the original language and intent of the

Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and of Texas,” which

declare that no law should be enacted to restrict the freedom of speech; the bill stands in

opposition to 2024 RPT Platform Planks 1, 11, and 181, which further assert our First

Amendment rights including free speech; HB 366 represents encroachment upon the free

speech rights of Texas citizens (Record Vote 982); and

On May 1, 2025, Representative VanDeaver voted in favor of HB 1359 (relating to the creation

of a program to provide income-based assistance for certain retail electric customers); the

Democrat-sponsored bill was unanimously opposed by the SREC Legislative Priorities

Committee and therefore, his vote in favor was in opposition to the RPT Legislative Priority to

“Secure the Electric Grid”; additionally, the House Research Organization Bill Analysis states

that the bill would have a negative impact of $8.5 million to general revenue related funds

through the biennium (Record Vote 1149); and

WHEREAS, the Lamar County Republican Party provided notice to Representative Gary VanDeaver’s

office and an opportunity to speak prior to the vote taking place; and

WHEREAS, the constituent Precinct Chairs of House District 1 of the Lamar County Republican Party

Executive Committee passed the resolution of censure of Representative Gary VanDeaver by both a

two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present and voting and a 50% majority of all constituent Precinct

Chairs, even those not in attendance; and

WHEREAS, the term of office for Representative Gary VanDeaver expires after the 2026 Primary and

General Elections, and he would be eligible to run for reelection to his House seat in the 2026 election

and also eligible to run for any other partisan office in the 2026 election; and

2WHEREAS, in discussing resolutions of censure passed by a County Executive Committee, Rule No.

44 of the Republican Party of Texas states in part that “such a resolution may include a request to

impose the penalties below to the SREC. The SREC must confirm or deny penalties prior to early

voting of the Republican Primary Election in which the Officeholder is seeking election.

Penalties:

If such a request is included, after not less than fourteen (14) days’ notice and opportunity to

the Officeholder to appear and be provided time to speak before the SREC in response to the

request. The SREC, by a three-fifths (3/5) vote of the full membership, may vote to concur with

the resolution of censure and impose one or more of the following penalties:

Penalty 1: Declare that no Rule or Bylaw enacted by any division of the Party at any

level that demands the Party be neutral in intraparty contests shall be observed with

respect to the named Officeholder, and no financial or other support shall be provided

to the Officeholder’s campaign by the Party except that which is required by law. If the

Officeholder files an application to run for any public office in the Republican Party

Primary Election following the censure resolution’s passage, the SREC shall be

authorized to spend up to twelve percent (12%) of the Party’s general fund on voter

education in the Officeholder’s district, by republishing the original censure resolution

verbatim, using a media format determined by the SREC.

Penalty 2: Declare that the named Officeholder is discouraged from participating in the

Republican Party Primary Election following the censure passage.

Penalty 3: Authorize and direct the State Chairman or any County Chairman to refuse

to accept any application for a place on the ballot of a Republican Primary Election for

a period of twenty-four (24) months following adoption of the censure and imposition of

said remedy”; and

WHEREAS, in its resolution of censure, the Lamar County Republican Party requested that the SREC

concur with the resolution of censure and that the SREC impose “all applicable penalties set forth in

Rule No. 44 of the Republican Party of Texas, including but not limited to, refusing to accept any

application from him for a place on the ballot of the Republican Primary Election for the period of

twenty-four (24) months following adoption of the censure”; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the State Republican Executive Committee concurs with the

violations of Republican Party of Texas Principles and Legislative Priorities stated in the resolution of

censure passed by the constituent Precinct Chairs of Texas House District 1 of the Lamar County

Republican Party and identified in this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas imposes Penalty 1 and Penalty 2

identified in Rule No. 44 on Representative Gary VanDeaver as follows:

Penalty 1: Declare that no Rule or Bylaw enacted by any division of the Party at any level that

demands the Party be neutral in intraparty contests shall be observed with respect to the named

Officeholder, and no financial or other support shall be provided to the Officeholder’s

3campaign by the Party except that which is required by law. If the Officeholder files an

application to run for any public office in the Republican Party Primary Election following the

censure resolution’s passage, the SREC shall be authorized to spend up to twelve percent (12%)

of the Party’s general fund on voter education in the Officeholder’s district, by republishing the

original censure resolution verbatim, using a media format determined by the SREC.

Penalty 2: Declare that the named Officeholder is discouraged from participating in the

Republican Party Primary Election following the censure passage; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that nothing in this Resolution shall be construed to prohibit the use of

Party resources to encourage voting for Republican Party nominees or officeholders collectively, so

long as Representative Gary VanDeaver is not identified by name.

Passed by the State Republican Executive Committee, October 11, 2025