Van Gerpen announces bid to run for District 19 state Senate seat

• Bill Van Gerpen

Bill Van Gerpen

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Bill Van Gerpen, of Tyndall, has formally announced his candidacy for a District 19 state Senate seat.

He has served eight years in the state House of Representatives with his last term as vice chairman of the House Education Committee

Van Gerpen, a retired lieutenant colonel, served on active duty at HQ United States Air Force Security Service and in Germany. His assignments with the Air National Guard included special duty assignments in Washington, D.C., where he led leadership seminars for military guard and reserve officers preparing for commander positions.

Van Gerpen was placed on active duty in 2005 for nearly two years to develop a program to prepare soldiers and airmen for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as provide support for their families. His duties included death notifications and building a weekend seminar program to assist deployed soldiers-airmen rejoining their families following deployment.

Van Gerpen has served as a pastor in several churches, is a part-time farmer and served six years as a school board member.

His opponent in the Nov. 6 general election is Frank Kloucek, a longtime legislator and Scotland Democrat who has most recently been serving in the House.

Tags: election 2012, news, updates, state, legislature, tyndall