GOP primary battle set for House District 17 seat

AUSTIN (Nester) — Rep. Stan Gerdes and Tom Glass are battling to be House District 17’s GOP nominee. 

The race involves Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Lee and Milam counties but, like many races for state representative, it reflects an ongoing rivalry in Austin.

Gerdes, who is backed by Gov. Greg Abott, voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton last may. Paxton has since endorsed Glass. 

However, the candidates are standing on a variety of issues affecting voters, and it’s worth comparing their stances side-by-side.

Immigration and Border Security

Both candidates list securing the southern border as their top priority. 

While in office, Gerdes helped pass a bill for over $6 million in funding for Operation Lone Star. He also voted in favor of Senate Bill 4, which stops Texas municipalities from prohibiting law enforcement from inquiring about a person's immigration status. 

Gerdes was one of 22 state representatives invited to visit the border with Abbott in early February. “We are deterring illegal entry into Texas, and we are showing Biden and his failed administration what it means to lead!” he said in a post on X afterward.

Glass claims that Texas laws are “sufficient” and the struggles at the border are “a leadership issue.” He is already calling to replace Abbott and said the legislature needs to provide more resources to district attorneys and the attorney general.

If elected, Glass is planning to file a bill that would end taxpayer subsidies for non-citizens, according to his website.

Tax Relief 

“The two banes of my existence are fighting my property tax appraisals and preparing income tax returns,” Glass writes in his call to eliminate property taxes. He supports replacing property tax with sales tax, not a state income tax. 

Gerdes co-sponsored Senate bills 2 and 3 in 2023, an $18 billion initiative to lower property and franchise taxes. The package temporarily capped appraisal increases and provided funding to school districts in exchange for lower local tax rates. Gerdes says he will continue to advocate for tax decreases. 

School Choice 

Abbott’s endorsements have aligned with those who back his school choice agenda that would provide financial help for parents wishing to send their kids to private or religious schools. Gerdes was one of the 63 house Republicans who voted in favor of the policy. 

Gerdes voted for Senate Bill 10, which gave retired teachers a pension raise. He says he supports public school funding and training grants for teachers in rural communities. 

Glass said that he would vote for a school voucher program even though he doesn't support Abbott.

Further Comparison

Gerdes is a former Smithville city council member and worked for former Gov. Rick Perry. He is also endorsed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and the NRA.

Glass, who lives in western Lee County, has gained support from several Bastrop area Republican political action committees and Gun Owners of America. His wife, Kathie Glass, was the Libertarian nominee for governor in 2010 and 2014 and ran for the nomination again in 2018. 

Both candidates advocate for Second Amendment rights and pro-life initiatives. They also list water resources as a key issue in the race, calling for legislation to protect rural groundwater. 

“Protect our Kids” can be seen on Glass’s website, followed by a call to end care for Texas’ transgender youth. Gerdes’s website similarly states “Protecting Texas Children” but focuses more on school safety and social media regulations in the description.

Glass places “Protect Texans from Globalist/Marxist Domination” second to the border on his list of issues. A similar concept is not found within Gerdes’s campaign. The March 5 primary determines who will take on Democrat Desiree Venable in the November general election.