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Virdell -
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Two people have al- ready filed for State Representative District 53, the sprawling district now held by Andrew Murr. Murr said last week he would not file for re-election.
Wesley Virdell, of Brady, announced even before Murr said he wouldn’t run. Virdell is the Texas director of Gun Owners of America and runs a trucking business.
Hatch Smith Jr., of Llano, announced last week that he would run for the office. Smith is CEO and administrator of the Mid Coast-Central hospital in Llano and also operates livestock businesses in Llano County.
While both have named campaign treasurers – a required step in running for office they must also be approved by the State Republi- can Execu tive Comm ittee, which will run backg round
checks and affirm that they qualify as candidates.
Monday, Dec. 11, is the deadline for filing for the primary elections, to be held Tuesday, Mar. 5.
Virdell’s web page calls him “a leader Texans can count on to fight for their rights and represent their values.”
He claims endorsements from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Ector County Repub lican Party, the Llano County Tea Party and the Gun Owners of America.
Virdell’s legislative priorities include protecting gun rights and borders and putting an end to property taxes.
“I’m a problem solver,” Smith said in his announcement “That’s what I do every day. So when I look at the very serious problems facing our state and nation, I feel as though I have a responsibility to roll up my sleeves and put my experience to work to find solutions."
He said the most serious problem is the Biden administration’s failure to secure the nation’s borders.
Smith became administrator of what was then Llano Hospital when he learned it was on the verge of shutting down. He facilitated the negotiation to save the hospital and re-established a local hospital foundation that has been instrumental in raising nearly $500,000 in local donations to keep the hospital running.
Murr announced he wouldn’t run for re-election after censures from the Bandera and Medina county GOPs and an “admonishment” from Real County. An admonishment is like a censure but not as serious, coun- ty Republican officials explained. The censures were for Murr’s role in the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his vote for Dade Phelan of Beaumont as House Speaker. Phelan appointed several Democrats to chair key House committees, to the outrage of Republicans.
While Murr wasn’t censured in Llano County, County GOP Chairwoman Becci Mears said the committee passed a concurrent resolution urging the state committee to censure Murr when it meets in December.
“What we sent to the FTC was a concurrent resolution,” Mears told The Highlander. “We’re saying that we agree with (the other counties), and that we urge the State Republican Executive Committee to vote for censure when they meet in December.
“Not the same as censuring ourselves but saying we agree with everybody else.”
Mears said she knows of no way to learn how many of the 16 counties in the district voted to censure or otherwise express their discontent.
District 53 extends from Llano County in the east to Pecos County in the west and includes 199,135 people, according to the Texas Legislative Council.