Bastrop County Republican Party expresses issues with Rep. Stan Gerdes in resolution

correction: An earlier version of this story did not properly identify the means and time KBTX reached out for comment from Rep. Gerdes' office. The attempt made to reach out for comment was after business hours on Friday evening, and a call was only placed to the Gerdes office at the statehouse, not to the campaign or any member of Rep Gerdes' team directly.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - During a recent Bastrop County Republican Party meeting, a resolution was created addressing Texas House District 17 representative Stan Gerdes.

“We’re respectfully asking him to be on our side against the Democrats, instead of being on the Democrats' side against us,” said Lee County Republican Tom Glass, who previously ran for the seat now held by Gerdes.

In the document, party members expressed concerns about Representative Gerdes' choices during the previous legislative session, including voting for Dade Phelan as house speaker, voting to impeach Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and what they call a lack of transparency with constituents.

In March 2024’s Republican primary, however, nearly 60 percent of District 17 GOP voters backed Gerdes. He was re-elected in November to represent the district in the 89th Legislature, which begins in mid-January.

Other District 17 Republicans told KBTX there are bigger issues at hand, and the actions of the Bastrop County party may only take time away from them.

“These inner squabble issues that come up like this [are] not good for the party, and we don’t like to see it,” explained AD Muller, a Burleson County Republican precinct chairman.

Rep. Gerdes and other members of the Texas House of Representatives will vote on a new House Speaker when the new legislature convenes on January 14, and Phelan is no longer in the running for the seat.

The House Republican Caucus has said they intend to elect Rep. David Cook from North Texas. Cook still faces a challenge from Lubbock-area Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows, who says he has put together a bipartisan coalition to claim the speakership.

A list published by Rep. Burrows' campaign lists Rep. Gerdes as publicly supporting the Burrows campaign for speaker, though several of the names on the list have been publicly questioned.

KBTX reached out to the Gerdes office in Austin after business hours on Friday for comment on the Bastrop County Party’s resolution. A spokesperson was not immediately available to respond over the weekend.