Gary VanDeaver
| Gary Wayne VanDeaver | |
|---|---|
| Texas State Representative for District 1 (Bowie, Franklin, Lamar, and Red River counties) | |
|
Assumed office January 13, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | George Lavender |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 25, 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Pamela Sue Nevill VanDeaver (married 1983) |
| Children |
Kacey Briann Vandeaver |
| Residence | Texas, USA |
| Alma mater | Texas A&M University–Commerce |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Religion | Southern Baptist |
Gary Wayne VanDeaver (born September 25, 1958)[1] is a retired educator with the New Boston Independent School District in New Boston in Bowie County, Texas, who is a first term Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives.
Background
Though born in Grimes County, Texas,[1] VanDeaver was reared on a cattle operation near Clarksville in Red River County in northeast Texas and graduated in 1977 from Clarksville High School. He holds a doctorate obtained in 1996 in professional education from Texas A&M University–Commerce, formerly East Texas State University. In December 2014, he retired as superintendent of the New Boston district. Having begun as a vocational agriculture teacher, VanDeaver has worked for thirty-three years in the education profession.[2][3]
He is a member of the Red River County Fair Association and the Bogata Rodeo Association, also in Red River County, and he sits on the board of the Texas Future Farmers of America. He is a past president of the New Boston Lions International and his local Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and a deacon and Sunday school teacher at the First Baptist Church of New Boston. VanDeaver has been married since 1983 to the former Pamela Sue Nevill (born 1963), who is also an educator. The couple has two grown daughters, Kacey and Katelyn VanDeaver.[2][3]
Political life
In the primary election held on March 4, 2014, VanDeaver, in his last year as school superintendent, unseated the two-term District 1 Republican incumbent, George Lavender, a businessman from Texarkana in far northeastern Texas. VanDeaver received 9,400 votes (54.3 percent) to Lavender's 7,898 (45.7 percent).[4]VanDeaver had no Democratic opposition in the general election held on November 4, 2014. Both Lavender and VanDeaver call themselves "conservative Republicans."
VanDeaver defeated George Lavender in a rematch in the Republican primary on March 1, 2016.[5] VanDeaver received 18,263 votes (61.9 percent) to Lavender's 11,242 (38.1 percent).[6]
References
- 1 2 "Gary Wayne VanDeaver". search.ancestry.com. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
- 1 2 "Conservative Republican Gary VanDeaver for State Representative". garyvandeaver.com. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
- 1 2 "Gary VanDeaver". Texarkana Business Journal. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014". team1.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
- ↑ "2016 Filed Primary Candidates". texasgop.org. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Republican primary returns". Texas Secretary of State. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
| Texas House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Lavender |
Texas State Representative from District 1 (Bowie, Franklin, Lamar, and Red River counties)
Gary Wayne VanDeaver |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
