(Seguin) — New details are emerging regarding the abrupt departure of the former Guadalupe County Elections Administrator. The Guadalupe County Election Commission is once again searching for a new Elections Administrator following the recent resignation of Cristian “Cris” Pérez García, who was hired for the position just three months ago.
Pérez García was selected by the Guadalupe County Election Commission in March.
In a resignation letter provided to KWED, Pérez García says her decision came after what she described as political pressure and harassment from incoming Guadalupe County Republican Party Chair Terry Harper.
In the letter, Pérez García wrote that she accepted the position because she believes in “fair, transparent, and nonpartisan elections” and entered the office with years of experience and a commitment to serving voters.
She told Election Commission members that it had become impossible for her to continue serving under what she described as “political pressure, harassment, and discrimination” from Harper. She also wrote that election offices are intended to operate independently and without partisan influence and said she would not compromise those principles. She claims Harper made statements such as “I am your boss. You work for me. The Republican Party is your boss. You work for the Republican Party. People around here know who I am and how involved I am.”
Pérez García further stated that she experienced severe anxiety and emotional distress from what she characterized as repeated attacks, public threats and efforts to damage her reputation and career.
According to her letter, she reported those concerns through proper channels but felt there had been no meaningful intervention.
The departing administrator also raised concerns about the condition of the Elections Office itself.
In her resignation letter, Pérez García said that during her brief tenure she uncovered what she described as serious neglect, procedural failures and violations of election law that predated her arrival. She wrote that she repeatedly attempted to contact former election office leadership regarding those issues but received no response. Pérez García stated that she plans to provide documentation to county officials outlining concerns and recommendations for bringing the office into compliance.
She concluded the letter by expressing disappointment that her service was ending under those circumstances and pledged to professionally complete her final election duties before leaving county employment.
KWED Radio reached out to Harper and offered him an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Harper denied placing any political pressure on Pérez García.
“She can make all the accusations she wants. I put no political pressure on her whatsoever and I will be happy to share pretty much our exact, very brief conversation as I remember it. As far as me trying to address her claims that I attacked her, I can’t address that because I don’t believe it to be true,” said Harper.
Harper says his interactions with Pérez García were limited to a brief meeting after he introduced himself as the incoming Republican Party chairman.
“I said that the taxpayers of Guadalupe County are her boss, not me. And I went in and I introduced myself to her. Three different times I went in — just a few minutes with her — and she was busy. The third time I came back, I got to go in with her. We went and sat in the room. And I introduced myself as the chairman-elect and that we would be working together closely in the upcoming elections. And somehow, we got off on some of the stuff she wanted to do, like giving elections away to other counties that are inside Guadalupe County. And I told her I don’t believe she can do that. And she got a little upset and I said, ‘I believe it’s in violation of state law.’ And so, this went on for just a very couple of minutes. And then, she basically said, this conversation is over. And if you come back here, I want to have a witness. And I said, that’s fine. We both should probably have a witness. And that was the last time I talked to her,” said Harper.
During this conversation, Perez-Garcia claims her comment on “giving elections away” was a general operational response – one she says solely was related to workload and operational considerations.
Harper also addressed criticisms that he has made publicly via social media about the operation of the Elections Office.
“I was getting reports from part time workers, poll watchers, poll workers, all those people talking about how she never came out of her office. She never talked to them. She’s sitting there with the door closed and lights out so that she could just watch everybody. And really, I called it as I saw it,” said Harper.
In discussing Pérez García’s reaction to their meeting, Harper says he believes she interpreted the conversation as an attack. He says she later complained to the county attorney and suggested her response stemmed from personal insecurities rather than any misconduct on his part.
Meanwhile, Harper admits that the disagreement between the two has also been played out publicly on social media.
On his Facebook page, Haper posted, “We have an entirely unqualified elections office now and are facing a major train wreck. We must have honesty, integrity and a working knowledge of Texas Elections as our Elections Administrator. Guadalupe County elected officials are where the buck stops. She needs to be fired and fired today.”
Harper says it’s just unfortunate that their initial meeting went so wrong.
“I say I have nothing personal against the young lady. Just when we met for that brief period, it just went so very quickly. Somehow, she felt that it was an attack on her. She went to the county attorney and complained. I think she’s got some social problems. I think she’s insecure. I think she’s paranoid. And that’s the only thing I can say,” said Harper.
The resignation leaves the Election Commission with the task of finding another Elections Administrator, marking yet another transition for the county’s elections office.
Adding another layer to the situation, Harper is expected to join the Election Commission in mid-June when he officially assumes his role as Guadalupe County Republican Party Chair.
The Guadalupe County Election Commission is currently comprised of County Judge Kyle Kutscher, County Clerk Teresa Kiel, Tax Assessor-Collector Daryl John and Democratic Party Chair Glenda Henry and Republican Party Chair Karen Hale. Once Harper assumes the chairmanship, he will replace Hale on the commission and will participate in the process of selecting the county’s next elections administrator.
Officials say they hope to name a new elections administrator as soon as possible.