Harris County Voters Guide - the League of Women Voters of the

Transcripción

nonpartisan election material
LWV
– HARRIS COUNTY
VOTERS GUIDE
LWV
L e a g u e o f Wo m e n Vo t e r s o f t h e H o u s t o n A r e a
Primary Election ★
MARCH 2, 2010
WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT?
On March 2, Harris County voters
will cast votes to elect their
party's candidates for national,
state and county races.
ABOUT THIS VOTERS GUIDE
The League of Women Voters of the Houston area published this information to help voters cast an informed vote.
Inside you will find candidates’ qualifications, answers to our
questions and photographs. Each candidate is solely responsible for the content of the material submitted. Our state
organization, League of Women Voters of Texas, provided the
statewide candidate information.
Races and candidates are listed by political party and in
ballot order. Candidate replies are published without editing
or verification. Replies exceeding word limit requirements are
indicated by (///).
No portion of this Voters Guide may be reproduced
for use in political campaigns or advertising. Other proposed reproduction uses of the Voters Guide must have
permission of the League of Women Voters – Houston Area
Education Fund.
★ Polls Open 7AM to 7 PM
THE PRIMARY ELECTION PROCESS IN TEXAS
The March 2 election is a Party Primary Election and
only Democratic and Republican candidates are on the
ballot. You may vote in either the Democratic Party or
Republican Party Primary election on March 2 or during
the early voting period. When you vote in a political party’s
primary election, you become a member of that party for
the current calendar year. Your voting certificate will be
stamped at the time you vote with the name of the party in
whose primary you vote. If there is a runoff, you may vote
only in the same party’s runoff election. However, it does not
commit you to vote for that party’s candidate in the General
Election in November.
In November the Democratic and Republican winners
of this election will be on the General Election ballot. Also
on the November ballot will be Libertarian candidates
and, if successful in obtaining enough petition signatures,
Green Party, other party and independent candidates.
The Libertarian Party has already gained access to the
November ballot by meeting the required percentage of
votes in the last General Election. Its candidates are not
subject to petition requirements.
Political parties in Texas - other than the Democratic
and Republican Parties - select their candidates at conventions rather than through a primary election. Independent
candidates gain access to the ballot through an individual
application and petition process.
If you vote in the March 2 Democratic or Republican
Primary Election, you may not participate in another party’s
convention or sign a petition for a candidate from another
party or an independent candidate.
Shortly after the polls close on March 2, the Democratic
and Republican Parties will hold Precinct Conventions to
conduct party business, pass resolutions for the party platform, and select delegates to their Senate District or County
conventions. You may attend the Precinct Convention if you
voted in that party’s primary.
The Libertarian and Green Parties will hold Precinct
Conventions at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 9. You may
participate in either of these conventions only if you did
not vote in the Democratic or Republican Primary Election
or sign petitions for Democratic or Republican candidates.
The Green Party will hold its Precinct Conventions at 7 pm
on March 9 at 4822 Spellman, Houston, 77035. For additional Green Party information and for Libertarian Precinct
Convention locations, visit their websites, which are shown
on Page 39.
INDEX TO VOTERS GUIDE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY:
U.S. Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Governor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Lieutenant Governor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Attorney General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Commissioner - Gen. Land Office . . . . 5
Commissioner of Agriculture . . . . . . . . 6
Railroad Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Justice, Supreme Court . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Justice, Court of Criminal Appeals . . . 6
Member, State Board of Education . . . 6
State Senator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
State Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chief Justice, Court of Appeals . . . . . . 7
Justice, Court of Appeals . . . . . . . . . . 7
District Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Family District Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
County Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Justice, County Court at Law . . . . . . 16
Justice, County Probate Court . . . . . . 19
District Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
County Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
County Tax Assessor-Collector . . . . . 20
County Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
County School Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . 21
County Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Justice of the Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Harris County Democratic Chair . . . . 21
REPUBLICAN PARTY:
U.S. Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Governor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Lieutenant Governor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Attorney General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Commissioner - Gen. Land Office . . . 24
Commissioner of Agriculture . . . . . . . 24
Railroad Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Justice, Supreme Court . . . . . . . . . . 25
Justice, Court of Criminal Appeals . . 26
State Senator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
State Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chief Justice, Court of Appeals . . . . . 28
Justice, Court of Appeals . . . . . . . . . 29
District Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Family District Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
County Judge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Justice, County Court at Law . . . . . . 33
Justice, County Probate Court . . . . . . 36
District Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
County Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
County Tax Assessor-Collector . . . . . 37
County Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
County School Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . 37
County Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Justice of the Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Harris County Republican Chair . . . . 38
VOTER INFORMATION:
Voting in Texas Primaries . . . . . . . . . . 1
Voter Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Telephone Numbers/Web Sites . . . . . 39
Early Voting Locations/Schedule . . . . 40
Candidate replies are published without editing or verification. Each candidate is solely responsible for the content of the material submitted.
The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan. It DOES NOT support or oppose any political party or candidate.
We thank and acknowledge contributors who fund the Voters Guide. See page 41 for a list of contributors.
League of Women Voters of the Houston Area • www.lwvhouston.org • 713.784.2923
VIEW YOUR SPECIFIC BALLOT!
1 - Go to www.harrisvotes.com
5 - Scroll down to your information and click on Sample Ballot.
2 - Click on English, Spanish or Vietnamese
6 - You will see your Voter Specific Ballot for the party you selected.
3 - Click on Find your Election Day Poll and View Voter Specific Ballot.
7 - To view the ballot for the other party, go back to step 4, select the other party
and follow the same steps.
4 - Select Republican or Democrat and enter your name, your address, or
your voter registration certificate number.
VOTER INFORMATION
Facts about Voting
What can I vote on in this election?
You are qualified to vote if you meet the following requirements:
• You are a U.S. Citizen, at least 18 years of age, and a resident of Harris County.
• You are not on parole, probation, or in prison for a felony.
• You have not been declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law.
• You are registered to vote in Harris County. (February 1, 2010 was the last day to
register for the Primary Election.)
You may vote for candidates running for U. S. Representative for your district, Governor, Lt.
Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land
Office, Commissioner of Agriculture, Railroad Commissioner, Texas Supreme Court Justice,
Court of Criminal Appeals Justice, State Senator and Representative for your district, State Board
of Education Trustee for your district, Court of Appeals Chief Justice, Court of Appeals Justice,
Civil/Criminal/Family District Judge, County Judge, County Civil and Criminal Judge, County
Probate Judge, District Clerk, County Clerk, County Tax Assessor-Collector, County Treasurer, County School Trustee, County Commissioner, Harris County Party Chair, and, in some precincts, Party Precinct Chair. The Republican ballot includes five Referendum propositions. To
find out which U. S. Congressional, State Senate and Representative, County Commissioner,
and Justice of the Peace District you are in, look on the right half of your Voter Registration
Certificate or contact the Voter Registrar, 713.368.2200 or the County Clerk’s Voter Information
Line, 713.755.6965
The County Clerk’s Elections Office has Your Specific Ballot on line at
www.harrisvotes.com. You may view which races and candidates will be on your specific
ballot. See instructions at the top of this page. To obtain this information via telephone, call
713.755.6965, the County Clerk’s Voter Information Line, during regular hours.
How do I register to vote?
Each county has a Voter Registrar. In Harris County the Voter Registrar is the County Tax
Assessor-Collector. You may register in person at 1001 Preston Avenue – 2nd Floor, Room 200, in
downtown Houston; any of 16 Tax Office substations throughout the County; any Texas Department
of Public Safety Office (DPS); each Public Library, including any branch or service outlet; or several other state agency offices. Or you can mail in your application to Leo Vasquez, Tax AssessorCollector and Voter Registrar, P.O. Box 3527, Houston, 77253-3527. Applications are available at
those sites, on line at www.hcvoter.net or by calling 713.368.8683 to request one via mail. During
voter registration drives you can register with a deputized volunteer voter registrar.
After you register, you should receive your Voter Registration Certificate (VRC) within 30 days.
Every 2 years you will be mailed a replacement VRC. To maintain your registered status you must
notify the Voter Registrar of any address or name change.
Where do I vote?
During the Early Voting Period, February 16-26, 2010, you may vote at any of the designated
Early Voting Locations. Go to page 40 for a list of these locations. They are posted on line at
www.harrisvotes.com or you can call 713.755.6965.
On Election Day, you must vote in the polling location designated for your precinct of residence. Polling locations for each precinct may be listed in the newspaper the week of the election.
Also, they are on line at www.harrisvotes.com or you can call 713.755.6965.
Where do I find my Precinct Number?
Your Precinct Number (Pct. No.) shows in the middle of the left side of your Voter Registration
Certificate (VRC). Check the precinct number on your VRC before going to the polling location.
Or, you can contact the Voter Registrar, 713.368.8683/www.hcvoter.net or the Harris County
Clerk’s Elections Office, 713.755.6965/www.harrisvotes.com.
What do I take to the Polls?
Take your Voter Registration Certificate (VRC). This is all that is needed unless this is your
first time to vote in this county for a federal office and your original application was sent to the
Voter Registrar without proper identification. Other documents accepted for voter identification
purposes include:
1.a driver’s license or personal identification card issued to you by the Department of Public
Safety or a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, regardless of
whether the license or card has expired;
2.a form of identification containing your photograph that establishes your identity;
3.a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law
and establishes your identity;
4.United States citizenship papers issued to you;
5.a United States passport issued to you;
6.official mail addressed to you, by name, from a governmental entity;
7.a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other
government document that shows your name and address.
You can take this Voters Guide or other written material into the Voting Booth. However, voters are not allowed to display or share any campaign material in the polling place.
What if my name is not on the list of registered voters and the Voter Registrar
has no record of my registration but I think I have registered?
If your name is not on the list and you think you have registered, the Precinct Judge will
contact the Voter Registrar. If the Voter Registrar cannot verify your registration, you may vote a
“provisional ballot.” First, you must complete an affidavit stating that you are a registered voter in
the precinct in which you are attempting to vote and that you are eligible to vote in this election
and you must present valid identification. Your ballot will be counted only if state or local officials
determine you are eligible under State law. You will receive a letter after the election notifying you
whether your provisional ballot was accepted or rejected.
What is “provisional voting”?
See answer to previous question. For more information on the provisional ballot process visit:
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2004/03042004_factsheet.shtml.
2
When can I vote?
You may vote:
• On Election Day - at your assigned precinct’s polling place.
• Early - at designated times and locations from February 16 - 26, 2010 – see schedule on page 40
• By ballot-by-mail if you are at least age 65, disabled, confined in jail, or if absence from
the county will prevent you from voting early or on Election Day. For this election your
application to get a ballot-by-mail must be received between January 1 - February 23, 2010
(received, not postmarked), and you must follow the requirements for voting by mail.
Contact the County Clerk’s Office, 713.755.6965 or visit www.harrisvotes.com to print an
application for a ballot-by-mail.
How does a student who is a registered voter and attends school outside the
county vote?
• A student can return home to vote on Election Day or during the early voting period.
• A student can vote absentee by using a ballot-by-mail. For ballot-by-mail instructions,
see the answer to the previous question.
What do I do if I change my address and still live in Harris County?
Promptly notify the Harris County Voter Registrar of your address change. You can change
your address online at www.hcvoter.net or in writing by completing a voter registration change
form or by correcting the information on your current voter registration certificate and returning
it to the Voter Registrar. Voter registration change forms are available from the Harris County
Voter Registrar, 713.368.8683, on line at www.hcvoter.net or the Texas Secretary of State’s office,
1.800.252.8683, or on line at http://www.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/sos/SOSACManager.
You will be able to vote in your new precinct 30 days after your notice has been received by the
Voter Registrar. Meanwhile, you may vote a full ballot in your former precinct if your registration has
not become effective in your new precinct. You will need to complete a Statement of Residence form.
What do I do if I change my address and move to another county?
You must reregister. Complete an application and mail it or take it in person to the voter registrar
of your new county. You will be registered 30 days after your application is submitted.
You may be eligible to vote a limited ballot, i.e. on measures in common between your former
and new county, in your new county of residence after moving if you were qualified to vote in your
former county at the time you moved, and if your registration in the new county is not yet effective.
You must apply for a limited ballot and vote by personal appearance with the early voting clerk
conducting the election in your new county during the early voting period – not on Election Day.
What does the term “suspense” mean on a voter’s record?
The term “suspense” is used to designate those voters for whom the Harris County Voter
Registrar does not have a current address. A voter in “suspense” status on the rolls will be allowed
to vote after completing a Statement of Residence form. Once the address is corrected, the “suspense” designation will be removed from the voter’s record. On November 30 of even-numbered
years, the Voter Registrar cancels registrations of suspense list voters if two general elections have
occurred since the voter was first listed as a suspense voter and the voter has not submitted an
address correction.
League of Women Voters Houston • Primary Election 2010 Voters Guide
The races are listed by political party. Democratic Party candidates begin on this page (3). Republican Party candidates begin on page 22.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE / Democratic Party
Member of U.S. Congress. Serves in the House of Representatives. The House originates revenue bills and, by tradition, appropriation bills. The House brings charges of impeachment for trial in the Senate. Both the
House and the Senate count electoral votes following a presidential election and, if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House chooses the President from among the top three candidates. The member
is elected for a two-year term. Rank-and-file member salary $174,000. Speaker of the House salary $223,500. Majority and Minority Leaders salary $193,400.
QUESTIONS TO
9 - 10
CANDIDATES:
Please describe your education, your
occupation, and the training and
experience that qualify you for
this position. (50 word limit)
I am currently serving my third term on the
Houston City Council representing District
B. As a council member I have focused
my energies on bringing $1.9 billion to my
district for infrastructure, parks, and senior
citizen projects. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree
in Communications from Texas Southern
University.
DISTRICT 18
What are your recommendations for
reducing harmful emissions into the air?
What specific legislation would you
support? (60 word limit)
What measures, if any, should the federal
government take to stimulate job growth?
I support the President’s initiatives in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere to
defeat Al Qaeda. The recent Christmas Day
terrorist attempt exposed coordination issues
within national security agencies that need
correcting. We must continue to provide
assistance to partner nations to improve their
capability to help us defeat terrorism worldwide. We must continue to assist local law
enforcement coordination efforts.
I embrace the goals of the American Clean
Energy and Security Act. This legislation puts
us on a path of reducing harmful emissions,
reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and
creates clean energy opportunities. Let’s
make sure though that our local industries’
economic impact concerns about the legislation can be accommodated and incorporated.
My priority is job growth in the 18th where
double digit employment is the norm in good
and bad times. We need to reform education,
eliminate the drop-out rate and better prepare
our students for college and jobs of the future. The 18th has an abundance of affordable undeveloped land that can be used for clean energy
job creating industries.
Reducing terrorism involves a comprehensive
approach: increased funding for human intelligence; more behavioral assessment of individuals vs. profiling; increased funding for air
marshals; implementation of new technology
such as body scanners and increased professional training of Transportation Security officers. My bill HR 2200, is a comprehensive
approach to reducing terrorism.
New forms of energy and transportation
modes are required. I helped jump start
Houston’s hike and bike trails with $6 million. I invited Transportation Secretary LaHood
here; he then submitted Metro Solutions to the
President’s budget. I helped Houston secure
$150 million for the rail; another billion is
coming. We must work with our refineries to
improve air quality.
Our economy will not have fully recovered
until Americans are back to work. I support
President Obama’s stimulus bill to create jobs.
I organized two federal job fairs attracting
over 10,000 Houstonians. I am working to
ensure that new infrastructure projects and
job re-training programs promote hiring in
District 18. I also help to pass a new jobs bill.
America must spread peace and hold true to
the ideals that make us a great democracy,
while still never dismissing attempts to understand other’s positions from legitimate and
acceptable differences.
Massive research, investments an initiatives
in biofuels, wind energy and nuclear energy.
Promoting small business lending, as well
as encouraging joint ventures between larger
institutions and small businesses.
Convince the wealthy nations of the Middle
East to provide more support for the
Palestinian people who have been living in
camps for decades, and accept them into their
countries as citizens. If the Palestinians had
better living conditions, many would be less
likely to join terrorist groups. Finish building
Iraqi and Afghani infrastructures and bring
our troops home.
Invest more in clean energy and mass transit
solutions. Create incentives for businesses
and individuals to switch to cleaner energy
sources through more tax deductions and
implement stiffer penalties on polluters. Keep
raising the café standards for the automobile
industry. Offer tax incentives for business
whose workers telecommute, ride-share or
ride mass transit regularly. Ratify international global climate change agreements.
Give tax incentives to business that hire. Create a nationwide unemployment database
that employers hire from before asking for
a visa-holder. Invest more in education and
retraining for the unemployed. Invest more
in small business startups and growth using
grants, loans, and business expertise. Expand
the role of the small business administration to
help small businesses survive and grow.
Reveal the illegal flows of black market derivatives, narcotics, and weapons by offshore
banks to stop terrorism’s funding. Orient the
USA toward anti-colonial policies of sovereign national development with Russia, India,
and China. These four powers will lead the
peaceful buildup of nuclear power, water
desalinization, mass transit, modern sanitation, etc., alleviating the poverty that recruits
people into terrorism.
Since carbon dioxide is primarily plant food,
no matter what the EPA says, I propose massive increases in anthropogenic emissions of
CO2, legislated by nationwide infrastructure
development, nuclear power, high-speed rail,
urban reconstruction, and agriculture. The
biggest cause of ecological degradation is globalization, both via the looting of resources,
and the enforced poverty of “green jobs” and
“green energy”.
Revelar los flujos ilegales de los bancos extraterritoriales -de los paraísos fiscales- hacia el
mercado negro de derivados financieros, narcóticos y las armas, para detener el financiamiento del terrorismo. Orientar a los Estados
Unidos de América, hacia políticas anti coloniales de desarrollo nacional soberano, en
conjunto con Rusia, China e India. Estas
cuatro potencias, dirigirán la construcción
de plantas de energía nuclear con fines pacíficos, desalación de agua, transporte público
masivo, servicios de saneamiento modernos,
etc., aliviando a la gente de la pobreza, para
que no sean reclutados por el terrorismo.
Puesto que el dióxido de carbono es el principal alimento de las plantas, no importa lo que
la Agencia de Protección al Medio ambiente
EPA diga, propongo un aumento masivo de
las emisiones antropogénicas de CO2, legislado para el desarrollo de la infraestructura
nacional, energía nuclear, trenes de alta velocidad, reconstrucción de centros urbanos y la
agricultura. La mayor causa de la degradación
ecologica es la globalización, a través del
saqueo de los recursos y la pobreza forzada
de los “empleos verdes” y la “energía verde”.
End the bailout, and put the Federal Reserve
System through Glass-Steagall bankruptcy reorganization, transforming it into a
Hamiltonian-style National Bank. Use Article
I, Section 8 of the Constitution to issue longterm credit for nationwide infrastructure
development, manned space exploration,
nuclear power, high-speed rail, urban reconstruction, and agriculture. Employ youth in
productive Civilian Conservation Corps-style
jobs.
(60 word limit)
AL GREEN RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DISTRICT 9
TED ANKRUM RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DISTRICT
JARVIS JOHNSON
SHEILA JACKSON LEE
Yale University, Political Science –
Honors; University of Virginia Law
School; Congresswoman TX; Chairperson
Transportation Security and Infrastructure
Protection Committee; Authored major legislation on transportation and chemical security; added Homeland Security new transportation jobs to Houston. Served on City Council;
Associate Municipal Court Judge, Practiced
law and I care about people! (///)
SEAN ROBERTS
B.S. Economics 1993; Juris Doctorate 1996;
Lawyer for 15 years representing individuals
and businesses in a variety of transactional
and litigation matters
DOUG BLATT
25 years of experience in information systems
development required me to analyze and solve
problems efficiently and effectively. Earned a
MBA from TX A&M at Commerce. Owned/
Managed a small profitable business. Also
worked for all 3 branches of government at
state and local levels.
KESHA ROGERS
DISTRICT 22
What reasonable measures can be
taken to reduce the risk of terrorism?
I ran for Texas Democratic Party Chair
in 2006, recruiting youth into politics. A
political organizer with economist Lyndon
LaRouche since 2002, I’ve worked to restore
the tradition of Hamilton, Lincoln and FDR.
I hold a B.A. in Political Science and Speech
Communications. Full biography: www.keshaforcongress.com
Lanzé una campaña para la ser presidenta[líder]
del partido demócrata en el estado de Texas
en el 2006, reclutando jóvenes a la política.
Organizando políticamente con el economista
Lyndon LaRouche, he trabajado para restaurar
la tradición de Hamilton, Lincoln y FDR.
Tengo una Licenciatura en Ciencias Políticas
y Comunicación oral.
29
FREDDIE JOHN WEIDER, JR. –
GENE GREEN
(60 word limit)
10
Acabar con el rescate financiero y pasar por
medio de una reorganización por bancarrota
tipo Glass Steagall al sistema de la reserva
federal, transformandolo en un banco nacional
al estilo Hamiltoniano. Utilizar la sección 8
del artículo I de la Constitución para emitir el
crédito a largo plazo para el desarrollo de la
infraestructura nacional, la exploración espacial tripulada, energía nuclear, trenes de alta
velocidad, reconstrucción de centros urbanos
y la agricultura.
NO RESPONSE RECEIVED
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DISTRICT 29
3
GOVERNOR / Democratic Party
Four-year term. Must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately preceding the election. Among duties: executes all laws and conducts all business with
other states and the federal government; fills appointive offices; fills vacancies in state or district elected offices by appointment; calls special sessions of the legislature and sets their agenda; approves or disapproves every
bill passed by the legislature. Annual authorized salary: $115,345
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
What training and experiences qualify
you for this office? (50 words)
What policies do you support to create jobs
and assist those who are unemployed?
(75 words)
FELIX (RODRIGUEZ) ALVARADO –
STAR LOCKE
As a home builder & rancher for 35 years.
I have tremendous experience in dealing
with all people and solving problems. As US
Army Veteran I spent 14 months living inside
Mexico so I can understand/fix this border &
immigration problem. My Complete Report to
Texas is on Feb 15 (///)
E. GLENN –
Aside from the issues above, what do
you consider the two most serious and
pressing issues facing Texas during the next
four years and how would you
address them? (75 words)
Interest free loans to small business that wish
to manufacture any Wind or Solar machines.
Also free home installation of Wind & Solar
power devices designed to power homes.
Interest Free loans to farmers or ranchers for
land, tool, equipment and expenses to raise
grains for fuel.
I will place import tax on all Chinnse &
foreign goods where Labor Laws & Human
Rights Laws are not used with foreign workers. We close Texas Ports goods built with
salve labor. This will return the 35 million
jobs we lost. Also I create the Texas Defense
Force; half million new jobs will be created
and Veterans hired. A new Texas Army.
Property Taxes. Stop renting our own property! We pay all commercial property taxes for
banks, oil companies, wal marts and the malls
each time we buy gasoline, groceries, a shoes
or a burger. They just “passed-it-on” in higher
prices. Lets replace Property Tax. Mexico. I
will build a new Texas Defense Force like the
Israel Defense Force. I need 30,000 Combat
Troops to close this border and defeat & kill
the drug lords & corruption.
The state should strongly encourage conservation and energy use reduction amongst the
government, business and Texas residents.
This will not be enough to solve all of our
problems, though. I have a plan to research
new technologies, train Texans to work in
green jobs and utilize solar and wind technologies to create new sources of energy. Doing so,
we can put Texans to work and close coal fired
power plants, cleaning up our air and (///)
First, we should have accepted the federal government’s offer to help subsidize our
unemployment insurance fund. Beyond that, I
have a plan to build small business incubators,
create green energy jobs, promote industry
development clusters along the border, put
people to work modernizing core infrastructure, create high paying jobs in economically
distressed areas, and modify tax incentive
policies so we’re not competing against ourselves to encourage companies to move.
The Border: We need to embrace Mexico as
a trading partner and negotiate and encourage Mexico’s Government and their people
to establish jobs on their side to help solve
legal immigration long term. Furthermore,
I have a plan to get serious on apprehending
the drug distribution gangs and stop wasting
time attempting to apprehend all undocumented workers. I plan to populate the border
by bringing jobs from overseas to the Texas
border. Transportation: I have (///)
Texas is a national leader in traditional energy,
and we must be an international leader in
energy efficiency and energy supplies for
our future. Leadership starts at the top, and
as Texas’ Governor, I will promote more
clean sources of energy and energy efficiency
standards. With a Governor experienced in
the energy business, we can attract new jobs,
bring down electricity bills, and protect our
natural resources so that our children can
enjoy them.
As a former businessman, I know firsthand
how state government affects business. As
Houston’s mayor, I helped our area lead the
nation in job growth. Jobs with a future come
from attracting new businesses and allowing
small business to grow. We must ensure an
educated, skilled workforce and invest in critical infrastructure, including transportation
infrastructure. Finally, we must use tax dollars
for incentives more wisely and have accountability for the results of incentives.
Texas es un líder nacional en energía tradicional, y debemos ser líderes internacionales en eficiencia energética y energía renovable. El liderazgo se ejerce desde arriba, y
como Gobernador de Texas, yo promoveré un
mayor uso de fuentes energéticas limpias y
mayores estándares de eficiencia energética.
Contando con un Gobernador con experiencia
en el campo energético podemos crear nuevos
empleos, reducir los gastos eléctricos, y proteger a nuestros recursos naturales para que los
disfruten nuestros hijos.
Como empresario, yo sé como el gobierno
afecta al negocio. Como Alcalde de Houston,
ayudé a que nuestra región liderara a la nación
en creación de empleos. Los empleos con
futuro se crean atrayendo a nuevas empresas y fomentando el desarollo de pequeños
negocios. Debemos garantizar la educación
y el entrenamiento de nuestra fuerza laboral,
e invertir en infraestructuras básicas, incluyendo al transporte. Finalmente, debemos utilizar los estímulos fiscales sabiamente y poder
contabilizar sus resultados.
Education and long term economic growth.
For the first time, young Texans entering the
workforce are less educated than the previous
generation. Our long term economic future
depends on the investments we make in students today. We must improve achievement
in public schools, cut the dropout rate, and
reduce barriers to higher education. Examples
of potential solutions to improving achievement include: voluntary summer programs,
expanded pre-K, closing the digital divide,
attracting and retaining great teachers.
Texas needs to utilize the resources it already
has, include solar and wind options for utilities, and alternative fuels for transportation.
Educate residents as to the cost, as well as the
pros and cons, of each source of energy. Our
state government should be able to keep our
citizens informed about pollution in our state
and ways to live cleaner so we can care for
our resources.
Give tax breaks and incentives to companies
who bring their business to Texas. We have a
large population with plenty of talented, innovative workers and no state income tax. Texas
citizens would welcome a company into their
communities. We need to market what Texas
has to offer, in our small towns, metropolitan
cities and suburban areas, because it is a great
place to live, work and raise a family.
FAROUK SHAMI
I came to America with $71 dollars in my
pocket and through hard work and determination achieved the American dream. The company I founded is worth over a billion dollars.
We do business in over 106 companies. I will
bring my business skills to this office to solve
Texas problems.
BILL WHITE
STATE
What do you see as the state government’s
role in increasing the use of alternative fuels
and energy conservation among Texas residents? (75 words)
With a long business career, I’ve met a payroll,
balanced budgets, and increased efficiency. In
six years as Houston’s mayor, I brought people
together to get results. We led the nation in job
growth, cut crime, cut property tax rates, and
helped the city become a clean energy leader.
Durante mi larga carrera empresarial, manejé
nóminas, mantuve presupuestos balanceados,
y aumenté la eficacia. En seis años como
Alcalde de Houston, uní a los ciudadanos y
obtuve resultados. Lideramos a la nación en
creación de empleos, redujimos el crimen,
disminuimos los impuestos de propiedad, y
colaboramos para ser líderes energéticos.
BILL DEAR
My experience of being an investigator, businessman, author and rancher, all while raising
two sons as a single parent has given me
insight into the reality most Texans deal with. I
know their struggles and I will truly represent
them and will listen to their concerns.
ALMA LUDIVINA AGUADO –
La educación y el crecimiento económico a
largo plazo. Hoy por día, los jóvenes Texanos
ingresan al mercado laboral con menos educación que la generación anterior. Nuestro
futuro económico depende de nuestras inversiones en nuestros estudiantes. Debemos
mejorar el desempeño académico, disminuír
el abandono escolar, y reducir los obstáculos
para la educación superior. Algunas soluciones que propongo son: programas veraniegos
voluntarios, expandir la educación preescolar,
eliminar la brecha digital, y retener a nuestros
mejores maestros.
Education and unemployment. Empower
teachers to teach their students by taking
violent and extremely disruptive students out
of the classroom. Stop standardized testing
because Texas wants an above standard education for children. Address the lack of graduates furthering their education by offering
technical classes in high schools, introducing
students to the option of attending college or a
trade school. Many problems can be resolved
by better educated children and workforce
ready adults.
TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR PRECINCT VOTES ON ELECTION DAY:
Call 713.755.6965
or 713.368.2200
4
www.harrisvotes.com
or www.hcvoter.net
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR / Democratic Party
Four-year term. Must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately preceding the election. Among duties as part of both the Executive and Legislative
branches: assumes powers of governor when governor is absent or unable to serve; acts as president of the senate; by statute, the Lieutenant Governor is a member of several Legislative branch boards and committees.
The Lieutenant Governor’s salary is that of a state senator when serving as President of the Texas Senate and that of the governor when serving as Governor.
QUESTIONS TO
What policies do you support to create
jobs and assist those who are unemployed?
What specific actions would you support
to ensure that Texans of all ages and
circumstances have access to health care
according to their needs? (75 words)
pressing issues facing Texas during the
next four years and how would
you address them? (75 words)
I would implement the President’s health
care plan, fully fund the Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP), and invest in
hospitals, nursing homes, and medical infrastructure statewide. I would create incentive
programs to increase the number of primary
care physicians and to recruit doctors to all
areas of the state regardless of the local socioeconomic conditions.
I would: - Reform the tax structure that
is shrinking the middle class and punishing small business; - Abolish insider deals
that create stealth taxes like exorbitant utility
rates, insurance premiums, and college tuition;
- Accept the federal government’s return of
Texas’ tax dollars for unemployment benefits
and economic stimulus; - Invest in retraining programs; - Invest in green energy, not
pollution-belching coal plants, and use cleanburning Texas natural gas that generates severance tax dollars.
Texans must retake their government from
the forces of corruption and greed that have
been in control for the past 15 years. We need
ethics and election law reform to reduce the
temptation for corruption and ensure an ethical, transparent, and accountable government
that works for all of its citizens.
(75 words)
CANDIDATES:
RONNIE EARLE
I have a proven record of fighting for ethics in Texas government, reducing crime,
and bringing communities together to
solve problems. A former Staff Assistant to
Governor John Connally, Presiding Judge of
the Austin Municipal Court, and Texas State
Representative, I was District Attorney of
Travis County for 32 years.
STATE
Tengo una trayectoria comprobada de pelear
por el sentido de ética en el gobierno de Texas,
de reducir el índice de crimen y de incluir a
la comunidad para resolver problemas. Mi
experiencia incluye haber trabajado para el
Gobernador John Connally, haber sido Juez
Municipal, haber representado a Austin en (///)
MARC KATZ
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I have owned an award-winning business,
with more than thirty years of experience
in management, marketing, sales and training. I am skilled in determining, developing
and securing funding for successful business
growth, attributes that are essential for this
office.
Implementaría el plan de seguro médico
del Presidente, dedicaría los fondos necesarios para el programa de Seguro Médico para
Niños (CHIP) e invertiría en hospitales y en la
infrastructura médica al nivel estatal. Crearía
programas con incentivos para incrementar
el número de doctores de primer cuidado
y programas para reclutar doctores a todas
partes del estado, sin importar las condiciones
socioeconómicas locales.
The federal government is in the process
of passing a national health care plan that
will help cover all Texans, however we must
implement it correctly to make it work for us.
First of all, I would make sure that the state
insurance commissioner that is appointed to
oversee the federal process, is not a political
appointee who has very close relationships
with the big insurance companies. Next, I
would push to overhaul the current (///)
LINDA CHAVEZ-THOMPSON –
- Reformaría la estructura de los impuestos
que está disminuyendo la clase media y castiga a los empresarios de empresas pequeñas.
- Me deshacería de los tratos epeciales a las
empresas que crean cargas adicionales para la
clase media, como seguros caros, el alto costo
de la educación universitaria y las altas tasas
de servicios de utilidad.
- Aceptaría el retorno de impuestos del estado
en la forma de fondos federales para el estímulo económico (///)
I support the implementation of alternative
power policies to help create jobs for the
future. We must look to sources of power other
than oil, and by creating them ourselves we
will also help create green jobs for Texans,
along with lightening the load of utility bills.
I also feel that along with unemployment,
unemployed Texans should have access to free
classroom training that promotes green energy.
We should teach our citizens how to build (///)
Our failing public education system must be
adequately funded. All-day education must
be available for all Texas four-year-olds whose
parents want it.
- La gente de Texas debe de tomar el gobierno
de las fuerzas de la corrupción y codicia que
han controlado nuestro estado los últimos
15 años. Necesitamos un sentido de ética y
reformas a las leyes electorales para reducir la
tentación de corrupción y asegurarnos de que
nuestro gobierno sea transparente y responsable a las necesidades de todos los habitantes
de Texas.
- Nuestro sistema de educación necesita los
fondos adecuados para funcionar y (///)
Education and immigration are the two most
pressing issues. Our children need access to
better education at a younger age. We should be
more diligent that all of our children, not just a
portion of them are allowed to attend pre-k
and kindergarten classes. Teachers need to be
treated like professionals and more attention
paid to their values and ideas in the classroom
rather than a standardized test. Immigration
reform has also reached a critical (///)
ATTORNEY GENERAL / Democratic Party
BARBARA ANN RADNOFSKY –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE / Democratic Party
Four-year term. Must be at least 18, a citizen of the United States, and a Texas resident for at least the 12 months preceding the election. Among duties: management of state lands and mineral-right properties totaling
20.3 million acres; repository of state land documents; responsible for the prevention of and response to oil spills that occur on “submerged” lands out to 10.3 miles in the Gulf of Mexico. The Commissioner also serves
as a chairman of seven state boards, including the School Land Board, the Veterans Land Board, and the Coastal Coordination Council. Annual authorized salary: $125,000
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
BILL BURTON
STATE
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I am a Texas Veteran, Real Estate Broker for
23 years. Former Judge, Real Estate Educator,
teaching Real Estate Law, Law of Contracts,
Lease Agreements; and former Mortgage
Broker;. Appeals Arbitrator on behalf of the
Texas Comptroller for Public Accounts in
Property Tax Disputes and Mineral Right’s
Issues.
HECTOR URIBE
Thirteen-year veteran Texas house and senate. Member Natural Resources, Water
Committees. Represented coastal district with
oil and gas reserves on state land, beaches, bays,
and estuaries. Authored laws to protect beaches,
coastal lands and environment and to create
Texas Enterprise Zone Act to promote economic development and create jobs. Attorney.
What changes do you support in the
General Land Office’s management of
state owned lands and mineral rights
properties? (75 words)
What changes would you make in the
management of Texas coastal lands and
submerged lands to minimize the effect of
destructive natural causes? (75 words)
Aside from the issues above, what do you
see as the two most serious and pressing
issues the Commissioner of General Land
Office will face in the next ten years and
how would you address them? (75 words)
I would have the Texas Legislature to designate a funding source through the CEPRA
ACT and FEMA to clean up the Coastal
Lands. I will enhance current efforts dedicated to Erosion and Long Term Plans. I
will assign an environmental Ecologist, and
Geologist to conduct an oceanographic study
and evaluate the cause and affects of existing
debris and soils to determine the most conducive method for aquatic care.
The first change I support is putting the
Permanent School Fund money back where
it belongs. I will stop using the PSF money to
promote business ventures. I will find alternative methods to general and increase funds
to the PSF through other natural resources
such as Natural gas and Wind energy, (better
known as Renewable Energy). I will conduct
a bi-annual site inspection to confirm the
appropriate process is followed as outlined in
the Lease (///)
(I). The GLO purchased more than a half
billion dollars worth of Land in and near the
South Texas, El Paso area which caused a
negative impact on tax revenues.
(A). I will determine the best use of the property. I will offer residential property for sale
first to the Texas Veterans.
(I). Texas Veteran Home Improvement Loan
limits them to $25,000.00, which has not
changed in over twenty years.
(A). I will work to (///)
Coastal lands: replenish sand on our hurricane ravaged beaches and plant native flora
that accelerates beach and sand dune growth.
Correct inappropriate engineering efforts to
create sand accretion that actually accelerates
beach erosion elsewhere.
Submerged lands: assure the free flow of
water to bays and estuaries from Texas’ rivers
and streams to submerged lands and attempt
to restore the appropriate salinity levels in our
bays and estuaries for habitat restoration for
fowl, fish and crustaceans.
More emphasis on the idea of stewardship
for the long term; would manage oil and gas
leases to ensure that the Permanent School
Fund enjoys like revenues in 2110. Would
immediately audit leases to ensure oil and
gas companies are paying fully. Would lease
land for wind and solar and seek legislative
support for electric grid needed to move
green power where needed. Would emphasize
carbon reduction, conservation and energy
independence.
How will the Land Office join the battle
against global warming and promote the harnessing of renewable energy sources, wind,
solar and geothermal? How will it assure that
in the transition from 20th Century to 21st
Century technologies that there is no negative
impact to the revenue streams that flow into
the Permanent School Fund from the leasing
of state mineral rights? Econometric models
that predict the impact of policy changes may
be the answer.
5
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE / Democratic Party
Four-year term. Must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas for the twelve months preceding the election. Among duties: heads the agency and chairs the nine-member board
charged with overseeing pesticide regulation. Annual authorized salary: $125,000
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
STATE
RICHARD “KINKY”
FRIEDMAN
How would you balance environmental
concerns and economic interests of Texas
farmers and consumers? (75 words)
How do you propose to protect agricultural
lands and rural communities in Texas with
its high rate of urbanization? (75 words)
Aside from the issues above, what do you
see as the two most serious and pressing
issues the Commissioner of Agriculture will
face during the next ten years and how
would you address them? (75 words)
Candidate’s response did not meet the criteria
listed in this Voters Guide.
The Texas Department of Agriculture deals
with the business of farming and ranching as
well as consumer safety. The current commissioner allowed tainted beef to be sent to school
cafeterias. On his watch an unlicensed peanut
processing plant caused a national salmonella
outbreak. The key to balancing the farmer’s
interest and consumer safety while preserving
the environment is to remember that they go
hand in hand.
I believe the two most serious issues before the
commission will be preserving the family farm
and protecting the consumer and ranchers and
farmers from the excesses of big agri-business
corporations. Farmers are facing a few companies that have a monopoly on certain seeds.
Consumers are getting hurt because the lobbyists
are in control at the Ag Department. We need
to get some competition back into this business
model, and be a watchdog for consumers.
We have to do all in our power to enhance
agriculture and keep it profitable. By creating a viable marketing campaign within the
agency, and expanding domestic and world
markets, this is possible. The TDA should
also take a pro-active role with municipal governments to encourage “productive growth
patterns” as opposed to urban sprawl, thus
reducing the losses of agricultural lands. I will
also work to prevent TXDOT from taking new
agricultural lands for new (///)
Agricultural producers, just like our energy
manufacturers, have to become better stewards of our environment. I would work closely
with our research universities to in continuing
to improve upon cleaner and more efficient
farming techniques, broadening organicbased substitutes, and less-invasive pesticides.
Besides farming, I will take the lead in developing more alternative energy through wind,
solar and bio-mass technologies.
Stopping the loss of family farms by increasing markets and marketability of Texas agricultural products. The agency can, and must,
take a more proactive approach in this area,
and will, under my leadership. We must also
offer better consumer protections, both in
the grocery store, and at the gas pump. For
too long, Texas consumers have been subject
to rip-offs, due to a lack of oversight by this
agency. This will change when I take (///)
I’ve been involved with ranching in Texas all
my life, and I care about rural issues. Echo
Hill, the ranch I live on and manage in the
Texas Hill Country is a defining element for
Kinky Friedman. I also served as Agricultural
Extension Director in the Peace Corps in
Borneo.
HANK GILBERT
I have lived and worked in agriculture my
entire life. After graduation from Texas A&M,
I taught high school agriculture for 13 years.
For the past 5 years, I have been a “citizen
lobbyist” for private property rights, against
eminent domain abuse and against the TransTexas Corridor.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER / Democratic Party
JEFF WEEMS –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
3-9
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE / Democratic Party
JIM SHARP – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 3
BILL MOODY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 5
BLAKE BAILEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE
9
6
COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS / Democratic Party
KEITH HAMPTON –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE 6
4
MEMBER, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION / Democratic Party
LAWRENCE A. ALLEN JR. –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR STATE BOARD OF EDUC ATION, DISTRICT 4
13-15
STATE SENATOR / Democratic Party
RODNEY ELLIS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 13
JOHN WHITMIRE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 15
STATE REPRESENTATIVE / Democratic Party
126 - 145
Member of the House of Representatives must be 21 years of age and a legal resident of the state for at least two years and resident of the district from which they are elected at least one year. All bills for revenue and
appropriation of funds for operation of state government originate in the House. Members’ duties include initiation of proposals for constitutional amendments, serving as an advocate for citizens in their home district
and bringing any charges of impeachment for trial in the Senate. They are elected for a two-year term.
6
CASEY MCKINNEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 126
JOE A. MONTEMAYOR – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 127
ALMA A. ALLEN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 131
SILVIA MINTZ – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 132
KRISTI THIBAUT – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 133
ELLEN COHEN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 134
SCOTT HOCHBERG – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 137
KENDRA YARBROUGH CAMARENA – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN
SYLVESTER TURNER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 139
ARMANDO LUCIO WALLE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 140
SENFRONIA THOMPSON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 141
HAROLD V. DUTTON JR. – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 142
ANA E. HERNANDEZ – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 143
RICK MOLINA – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 144
CAROL ALVARADO – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 145
DISTRICT 138
REGISTER!
DECIDE!
VOTE!
It counts!
STATE REPRESENTATIVE continued / Democratic Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
Please describe your education,
your occupation, and the training and experience that qualify you for this
position. (50 word limit)
Considering the current state of reduced tax
income, is the current tax policy sufficient
to finance state government needs, such as
public education, public safety, health care
and bridge and road maintenance? If not,
what measures would you support to pay
for these services? (60 word limit)
What measures, if any, should the state
If elected, what two issues do you feel
will need the most attention and
resources during your term of office?
Please explain. (60 word limit)
BORRIS L. MILES
The new business margins tax is not sufficient
to meet state government needs. The 81st
Texas Legislature would not have been able
to balance the state budget, as constitutionally
required, without approximately $15 billion
in federal stimulus money. A similar deficit
is projected for the next session, and we must
look at all funding options to meet our state’s
needs.
Texas remains a very attractive place for businesses to create jobs. Much of the nation’s
job growth in the last few years has been in
our state. However, unemployment in Texas
today is 8.3%, and many are out of work. State
government must ensure that Texans are educated, so they have the knowledge and skills
needed to get good jobs.
Dealing with the state’s budget crisis will be
the top priority next session. We are likely
facing a $15 billion deficit, without additional
stimulus funds to bridge the gap. Balancing
the budget without gutting basic services will
be a major challenge. Additionally, revitalization of neighborhoods in District 146 is an
ongoing challenge that will require considerable attention and resources.
The current tax policy is not sufficient to
finance state government needs. I would
I my BA from Texas Southern University. advocate sin taxes to subsides for the differI am a certified Corrective Therapy and a ence; have a in-depth study done for possible
Real Estate Broker, along with an Honorary solutions; and welcome reasonable suggesDoctoral Degree from the University of Belize tions from constituents.
and a Doctorate of Divinity from World Bible
Christian University.
The state government should help lower education tuition; offer technological and job
training course; required big business to take
economic responsibility for their wastefulness; eliminate wasteful government spending; make it easier for unions to organize;
and offer incentives and tax breaks for small
businesses. We should do everything in our
power to bring jobs back to America.
The two issues that I feel needs the most attention and resources during my term of office
are education and the increase of jobs.
146
I have a degree in criminal justice from
Sam Houston State University. I am a former
law enforcement officer, and for 14 years
have owned and operated the Borris Miles
Independent Insurance Agency. From 2007
to 2009, I served the people of District 146 as
State Representative.
AL EDWARDS
(60 word limit)
147-150
GARNET F. COLEMAN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 147
JESSICA CRISTINA FARRAR – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT
HUBERT VO – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 149
BRAD NEAL – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 150
148
COURT OF APPEALS / Democratic Party
CHIEF
CHIEF JUSTICE, 1ST COURT OF APPEALS
MORRIS OVERSTREET –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CHIEF JUSTICE, 1ST COURT OF APPEALS
4-8
1ST COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE
MICHAEL GOMEZ – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 1ST COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 4
ROBERT RAY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 1ST COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 8 (UNEXPIRED TERM)
14TH COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE
2- 9
NORMA VENSO – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 2
WALLY KRONZER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 5 (UNEXPIRED TERM)
TIM RILEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 9 (UNEXPIRED TERM)
DISTRICT JUDGE / Democratic Party
District Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction. Twenty-two criminal courts have jurisdiction over felonies punishable by death or by incarceration in state prison or death, and over misdemeanors involving
official conduct. An additional three courts deal exclusively with juveniles accused of crimes. Twenty-five civil courts have jurisdiction over civil actions, which include disputes over personal or real property, civil rights,
contractual matters or other business dealings, and personal injuries. In addition, there are nine specialized civil courts dedicated solely to family matters such as divorce and child custody. 4-year term.
55th
JUDICIAL DISTRICTS 55TH-113TH
DION RAMOS –
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 55 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
Please describe your education, your occupation,
and the training and experience that qualify you for
JEROME FJELD
113th
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I am qualified by my life experience and education. I
proudly served my country in the U.S. Navy earning the Navy
Achievement Medal as well as other accolades. I worked my
way through law school and appreciate what working men and
women go through in the justice system. I worked (///).
CHRISTINA BRYAN
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I graduated from Harvard Law School with honors, from
University of Texas with Highest Honors, and worked for a federal
appellate judge. I’ve practiced law in Harris County for 18 years,
representing plaintiffs and defendants, individuals and large and
small companies and have trial and appellate experience.
Me gradué de la Escuela de Derechos de Harvard con Honores;
de la Universidad de Texas con los Honores más altos, y trabaje
para un juez federal de las corte de apelación. He ejercido la
práctica de leyes en el Condado de Harris por más de 18 anos,
representando todos tipos de clientes, los individuos y empresas grandes y pequeñas. Tengo experiencia con juicios y con
las apelaciones
What do you see as the most critical administration
of justice issue facing the courts? How would you
address it? (60 word limit)
What method of selecting judges do you feel best ensures
an independent judiciary? (60 word limit)
Protracted litigation is the most critical administration of justice facing the courts. While everyone deserves their day in
court, often the cost and expense of litigation does not make
it feasible for legitimate cases to be heard. I word work with
attorneys and litigations to make sure the cost of litigation is
decreased and justice is not delayed.
Judges are very important to the democratic process. There
should be a system implemented that takes the money and
politics out of the judicial selection process. There should also
be more stringent qualification standards and stricter limits on
campaign financing for judicial races.
In the civil courts, I believe the costs of litigation for all parties
are one of the most critical issues facing the courts and citizens. I would focus on increasing efficiency and reducing costs for
all parties. In the criminal justice system, I believe a criminal
defendant’s access to good qualified legal representation is a
critical issue.
I think a non-partisan election system would reduce the
importance of party affiliation in elections, but would not
always ensure an independent judiciary. Elections keep judges
accountable to the voters, but in any elected system, it is up
to the citizens to elect judges of good moral character who
they can trust to remain independent and not be improperly
influenced.
En los juicios civiles, creo que los costos de litigar para todos
es uno de los temas más graves enfrentando las cortes tanto
como los ciudadanos. Me enfocaría en aumentar la eficiencia
y en bajar los costos para todos. En el sistema criminal de
justicia, creo que el acceso de un acusado a representación
adecuada es un tema central de nuestro sistema de justicia.
Creo que un sistema de elegir jueces no basado en afiliación
política disminuiría la importancia de partidos pero no aseguraría absolutamente un judicial independiente. Elecciones
mantienen a los jueces más sujetos a los votantes, pero en
cualquier sistema, los votantes deben de elegir jueces de buen
carácter y juicio, quienes se pueden confiar ser independientes.
7
DISTRICT JUDGE continued / Democratic Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
JUDICIAL DISTRICTS 157TH
CHUCK SILVERMAN
157th
As an Eagle Scout, successful lawyer, small business owner,
committed husband and father I have the demeanor, skill, work
ethic, impartiality, courtroom experience and legal knowledge
required for the position. I earned my B.A., M.B.A. and J.D.
from Tulane University. I’ve represented parties in federal and
state courts since 1986.
SHAWN THIERRY
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
For over thirteen years, I have protected the rights of citizens
and businesses. I am a graduate of Howard University, and
obtained my Juris Doctorate from the Thurgood Marshall
School Of Law. Both my legal and diverse life experiences make
me uniquely qualified for the position of civil district judge.
Frivolous lawsuits, the cost of litigation and judicial impartiality. I will actively manage my docket and promote mediation to
reduce litigation and costs. Also, courts must be balanced and
independent. Judges must not pander to politicians or special
interests. Parties must receive a fair trial from an impartial
judge. I will apply the law fairly. www.chuck4judge.com
We need to reform the campaign finance laws to reduce
the perceived influence of large contributions from lawyers
and corporations to the judges before whom they appear. To
accomplish this I would like to see public financing of judicial
campaigns. The administration of justice must be fair and
impartial and not subject to special interests.
A critical issue that currently prevents justice from being served
is the failure to move the case docket and/or make rulings
timely. Some judges allow motions to remain unaddressed for
months. This creates an administrative backlog which delays
those needing legal relief. I will read pleadings timely, and also
help the attorneys obtain and submit forms more easily.
I believe that judges are public servants. Therefore, they
should be elected by the voting citizens who live in the county
in which a judge intends to serve. Democracy is best served
when a majority of the people selects their local judiciary. Through the voting process, all voices are heard.
Un asunto crítico que previene actualmente la justicia es el fraPor más de trece años, yo he protegido los derechos de los caso de mover el registro del caso y/o resoluciones rapidamente
ciudadanos y de los negocios. Yo me gradué de la Universidad por la corte. Algunos jueces permiten que casos se queden sin
de Howard, y obtuve mi Doctorado en la Jurisprudencia de resolucion por meses. Esto crea un atasco administrativo que
la Escuela De la Leys Thurgood Marshall . Mis experiencias demora esos en necesidad de alivio legal. Leeré casos y resolulegales y diversas me hacen extraordinariamente califiqada ciones de una maner oportuna, y también ayudaré a abogados
obtener y someter formas más fácilmente.
para la posición de juez civil de distrito.
Creo que jueces son funcionarios publicos. Por lo tanto, ellos
deben ser elegidos por los ciudadanos que viven en el condado
en el que un juez piensa servir. La democracia es servida mejor
cuando una mayoría de las personas selecciona su magistratura
local. Por medio del proceso electoral, todas voces son oídas.
JUDICIAL DISTRICTS 180TH – 185TH
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
What do you see as the most critical
administration of justice issue facing
the courts? How would you address it?
What method of selecting judges do you
feel best ensures an independent judiciary?
(60 word limit)
How would you select attorneys to
represent indigent defendants in
your court? (60 word limit)
The most critical administration of justice
facing the courts is the number of indigent
defendants and number of attorney’s to defend
them. I am in support of a public defender
office for Harris County in addition to the
appointment of attorney’s for indigent defense. I believe that hybrid system would help alleviate the problems of case-load for attorneys that
represent (///)
Elections are the best way to select judges to
ensure an independent judiciary. I believe
that these elections should not along partisan
lines, but like the mayoral elections for the
City of Houston, with the candidates with the
most votes having a run-off election. Partisan
politics in judicial races only push political
agendas and not necessarily the best independent candidate (///).
Currently in Harris County, there is a system
called the Fair Defense Act Management
System to select attorneys to represent indigent defendants. This system allows attorney’s to review their availability and request
cases based on their schedule. The system
then selects names of attorneys at random who
have requested work for that week. That is
they way that I would (///)
Repeat drug offenders. Currently many courts
place low level users in jail for 60 days. This
Education: BA, History University of does not address their problem with addiction. Missouri, JD, Thurgood Marshall School of Many return to jail within a year. I would use
Law. I am a JAG officer in the Army the tools provided by the probation departReserves. In this role I serve as the Recorder ment and outside agencies to treat their addic(Prosecutor) during Separation Hearings. I tion. This would cut cost and make Harris
practice criminal defense law exclusively. County safer.
Last year I handled over 100 cases.
I believe electing judges is the best way to
ensure an independent judiciary. Elections
place the power in the hands of the people. If
the people feel that a judge has lost his or her
independence, they have the power to remove
the judge with their vote.
Attorneys would be selected using a random selection process. Any attorney that
has exceeded the case load limits developed
by the National Advisory Commission on
Criminal Justice Standards and Goals would
be removed from the pool of attorneys.
LORI GOOCH
180th
I am a 2001 Howard Law Graduate and 1998
Spelman College and Georgia Tech graduate. I am a former Harris County Assistant
District Attorney with 8 years of criminal law
experience. 5 years as an ADA and 3 years
as a criminal defense attorney, I have handled
cases from Murder (///)
(60 word limit)
DARRELL JORDAN
182nd 185th
BRANDON DUDLEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 182 nd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
MICHAEL GOMEZ – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 183 rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JAY W. BURNETT – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 184 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
VIVIAN KING – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 185 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 189TH
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
URSULA A. HALL
189th
My legal knowledge, judicial demeanor and temperament,
and history of public service qualify me: Associate Municipal
Judge, Houston, 2005-Present; sole practitioner, thirteen years
(criminal defense, personal injury; state, federal courts);
Wellesley College B.A.; South Texas College of Law J.D.;
University of Texas School of Law.
8
ANDY PEREIRA
BA Spanish/Economics/Ibero-American Studies Univ.
Wisconsin; JD South Texas College of Law, Order of the
Lytae, American Jurisprudence Award legal research/writing; intern, Texas SC Justice Lloyd Doggett; 1995-present,
Litigation Attorney--mass tort/product liability/consumer/
aviation. Licensed in Texas, Florida, numerous US District
& appellate courts.
The most critical administration of justice issue is fairness
(which includes issues of access to justice; expedition and
timeliness; independence and accountability; equality, fairness
and integrity; and public trust and confidence). This is best
addressed by electing qualified judges who are also humble,
fair, courageous, hard working and whose integrity has earned
the public’s trust as I have.
Judicial independence would improve with a merit selection
system that includes: a bipartisan selection entity to recommend appointments; senate confirmation of all appointments;
and subsequent “yes-no” retention elections. However, neither
a merit selection-retention system (which may hamper diversity and opportunity fairness) nor elections (which require
private funding) would ensure an independent judiciary.
www.judgeursulahall.com
Diversity of the jury pool. An ideal jury closely mirrors the
community in which it sits and embodies all of its collective
values. Diversity in education, profession, socioeconomics,
race, age, gender, disability, and sexual orientation/identity
among jurors ensures justice for all litigants. I will advocate
for increased juror compensation and try cases efficiently to
expand opportunities to serve.
While no method is problem free, I believe in the democratic
process and the rights of the voters to determine who serves in
government. Therefore I feel the electoral process is the best
option and ensures the greatest independence.
Un jurado diverso. Un jurado que refleja la comunidad y un
jurado que refleja los valores colectivos de la comunidad es
el mejor tipo de jurado. Diversidad de educacion, profesion,
nivel socioeconomico, raza, edad etc. asegura justicia por los
litigantes. Si soy elegido quiero aumentar el sueldo del jurado
para aumentar las oportunidades para servir.
Ningun metodo es sin problemas, pero yo creo en la democracia y el derecho de los votantes en determinar quien debe
servir en el gobierno. Creo que el proceso electoral es el mejor
metodo para seleccionar jueces y asegura independencia.
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 189TH CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 189TH – 234TH
QUESTIONS TO
189th continued
CANDIDATES:
LARRY HINOJOSA
Graduated from University of Houston College of Law in
1981; I am an attorney/mediator; I have practiced civil law
for 28 years as a trial lawyer, appellate lawyer and mediator. Successfully argued before the Supreme Court of Texas.
Mediated over 500 cases. Teach at all three law schools in
Houston.
190th
26 years of State and Federal Civil litigation/appellate experience. 150 cases to verdict and 100 published decisions in
Texas. AV rated, highest peer rating. Honors graduate of
Rice and UT-Austin Law. Certified mediator and arbitrator.
www.JimforJudge.com
OLAN BOUDREAUX
Graduated first in law school class; highest grade on Texas Bar
Exam. 25 years’ experience in civil litigation; board certified
in two trial practice areas. Elected to the American Board of
Trial Advocates, recognized in “Best Lawyers in America,”
“Super Lawyers” and “Top Lawyers in Houston.”
208th ‑ 232nd
The time and expense of litigation have made it difficult for
some individuals to seek redress in court. Money is a definite
advantage. A judge has the responsibility to make sure the
litigants are on a level playing field. I would work to be as
efficient and organized as possible to keep cases before me on
track towards quick resolution.
There should be an appointment process for judges. This
would insure competent and experienced individuals would
be on the bench. Under our elected system, anyone can run
for judge, including individuals with little or no experience.
Experience and qualifications mean nothing when running
for judge in Harris County. It is not what you know but who
you know.
Above all, a judge must be fair, impartial, ethical and consistent. Hard working, experienced and prepared. A judge
should never forget what it is like to stand in the shoes of
those on the other side of the bench. A judge must know
and understand the law, rules of procedure and evidence. A
judge must be efficient, decisive and timely.
First, statutory minimum requirements should be strengthened to set much higher standards for judicial candidates to
run for certain types of benches. Then, non-partisan elections. Alternatively, non-partisan appointment followed by
retention elections. However, I believe that citizens should
elect judges. Strict controls on campaign finance.
I believe the parties have to be concerned about the cost of
litigation. I would take a proactive approach to streamline the
process to get cases resolved quickly and efficiently. The parties have a right to have their cases tried fairly and impartially
without unnecessary burdens and costs. For more, see www.
olanboudreaux.com.
I believe judges should be answerable to the people they serve.
Therefore, I favor election of judges. While there may be ways
to improve the current system, I would not favor any method
that takes away the right of the citizens to choose those who
serve in these important positions.
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 189TH CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
JIM P. WROTENBERY
LORETTA JOHNSON MULDROW – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 208 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
KATHY CHENG – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 209 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
HARRIS WOOD – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 228 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
GARLAND ‘MACK’ MCINNIS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 230 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
GREG GLASS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 232 nd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
NILE COPELAND
Judiciary Integrity! Judges need to uphold and raise the current bar for professionalism, integrity and courtesy. Citizens
should expect and demand nothing less. I will work hard to
rebuild the community’s trust and expect a high degree of
decorum of those in the courts. After all, we are one of the oldest, noblest professions and we should act accordingly.
Judges should be elected by voters, not appointed. Judicial
races should be non-partisan and term-limited. These races
are a prime example of where we need a healthy dose of
campaign finance reform State funding of these campaigns
will eliminate the appearance and practice of partisanship and
undue influence by disallowing contributions from interested
parties or with pending cases.
The trend away from open and equal access to the courts must
stop. I will do everything I can to insure all litigants have an
equal opportunity to a fair trial. This requires efficient, but also
compassionate operation of the court. I would use mediation
extensively, but not at the expense of a litigants right to litigate.
Full voir dire.
Public elections, however I disagree with partisan elections like our present system. What political party you are a
member of, has nothing to do with being a competent judge.
An appointment system would destroy independence of the
judiciary and separate it from the trust of the people. We need
non-partisan election of judges.
Our courthouses must be open to all without regard to their
race, creed or sexuality. There should be a fair reflection of
South Texas College of Law, cum laude, 1987; Law Review; county demographics in our jury pools. Courtesy and respect
Order of the Lytae and Barristers. Principal Garth Law Firm. should be shown to all lawyers, parties, witnesses, and court
Handled and actually tried many cases from injury and death personnel. Motions should be ruled upon promptly. Lawyers
to contract disputes, mass tort cases and environmental con- must be allowed to present their cases fully and completely.
tamination suits. Experience on both sides of the docket for
Nuestras cortes de justicia deben estar abiertas a todos sin
balanced perspective.
consideración alguna de su raza, credo o sexualidad. Debe
Universidad de derecho de South Texas, cum laude, 1987; haber una reflexión justa demográfica en nuestra selección
Revisión de la Ley; Orden del Lytae y Abogados. Bufete de de jurados en el condado. La cortesía y el respecto debe ser
Abogados Garth. Dirigí y he llevado muchos casos de lesión demostrado a todo abogado, partido, testigos y personal de
y muertes con conflictos de contrato, casos civiles y casos de la corte. Las mociones se deben gobernar puntualmente. Se
contaminación del medio ambiente. Experiencia en ambos debe permitir que los abogados presenten sus casos completamente y en totalidad.
partidos para una perspectiva equilibrada.
Extensive, actual 1st-chair trial experience in the type of
court the candidate is seeking should be required and verified.
Ten years in practice and 10 trials completed through verdict
should be the minimum required to seek office. Candidates
should be appointed by applicable bar associations, elected by
a non-partisan election with strict limits on contributions or
public funding of campaigns.
I hold a B.S. in Biology, M.ED in Education Administration,
and a J.D. I am an attorney, certified mediator, Civil Service
Grievance Examiner and a licensed Real Estate agent. My
experience in business, law and conflict resolution gives me a
well rounded perspective for the bench.
JIM PEACOCK
234th
Born and raised in Houston. Graduated from Rice University
and Texas Tech University School of Law. Attorney for 28
years. Represented both plaintiffs and defendants. Successfully
tried nearly 200 juries to verdict in extremely diverse and complex areas of law. I am stable, hard working, honest, compassionate, intelligent and fair.
TANNER GARTH
Selección extensiva, experiencia directa en el tipo de corte
que el candidato está buscando debe ser requerido y verídico.
Diez años en la práctica y 10 casos juzgados terminados con
un veredicto final debe ser lo mínimo requerido para buscar
una posición judicial. Los candidatos deben ser designados
por las asociaciones de abogados, elegidos por una elección
independiente con límites terminantes de contribuciones o
financiamiento público de campañas.
9
DISTRICT JUDGES continued / Democratic Party
JUDICIAL DISTRICT 245TH – 247TH
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
RAYMOND L. (RAY) FISHER
245th
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I am a graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law. I am
running for the 245th Family District Court. I have over 34
years of experience in Private Practice pertaining to Family
Law. I have served as an Associate Juvenile Court Judge and
as an Associate Municipal Court Judge. I (///)
JANIECE HORN
246th
With a B.A. and law degree from the University of Illinois, I
moved to Texas as quickly as I could. Licensed here in 1980,
and Board Certified as a Family Law Specialist since 1991, I’ve
tried cases, handled appeals, substituted as associate judge, and
mediated nearly 3,000 family law matters..
SHERRI COTHRUN –
I am running for the 245th Family District Court Because I
believe in the Power of the Judiciary. I believe there should be
a Judge on this bench who knows the law and who will apply
the law fairly and impartially.
Judges should be selected based on their Credentials and commitment to serving the citizens of Harris County who appear
in Court. I will treat everyone with the respect they deserve
from a public servant. I will be fair, honest, courteous and
respectful. I will always apply the law above divisive politics
because Justice knows no political party. Too many cases, too much paper; too little attention to critical
community issues. I would join the “FOCAS” monitoring
program to increase efficiency in child support collections. I would explore additional venues for mediating CPS cases
to reduce that docket. I would encourage e-filing and other
methods of reducing paper. I would offer a fair, open forum
to all litigants.
Although problematic, I think the present partisan system for
election of judges may be the best method, but prohibitions or
limits on contributions from lawyers practicing before a judge
make sense. Non-partisan elections would be very expensive. If judges were appointed, there would be contention about who
was doing the appointing and why and the length of the term.
MARY KAY GREEN
J.D. University of Houston. Lawyer, 22 years litigation experience primarily in family law, handling adoptions, child custody, child support, child and adult protection, divorces and
CPS cases. Member Family Law Section, Texas and Houston
Bar, regular attendance at Advanced Family Law seminars,
court master, volunteer through La Rosa and HBA.
247th
CLINTON (“CHIP”) WELLS
I graduated from UT in 1974 and South Texas College of Law
in 1977. I have been a Texas Trial Lawyer for over 32 years. I
have tried well over 100 jury trials all over this State in matters involving family law, personal injuries and to some extent
criminal defense.
In the family courts, dismissal of cases, without a sufficiently
compelling reason, forcing reinstatement or re-filing, wastes
the resources of the parties, creates ill will in the community
and contributes to the size of the dockets. I would not dismiss
cases without a sufficiently compelling reason. Encourage
creation of more statutory family courts in Harris County by
legislature.
Voters electing judges directly. The appointment and retention
by voters method raises questions of who appoints the committee who would make the recommendations. If the governor,
it is likely to reflect one side no matter who is in office. Any
group or interest could dominate the selection committee or be
reflected in the appointments. Voters should make that choice.
We must move the tremendous caseload through the courts as
quickly and efficiently as possible. At the same time lawyers
and their clients should be able to establish an appropriate pace
to resolve their family related issues. Moving the court=s
docket should not be at the expense of the best interests of the
litigants and interested parties.
Election of judges in the present format is best short of a fully
developed process to do otherwise. Non-partisan elections
without proper screening could be disastrous. Selections made
by appointed committees gives no protection against special
interests. The question must be carefully studied and cannot
be based upon proposed legislation from the political party in
power.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
248th
JIM SULLIVAN
I graduated from South Texas College of
Law and Baylor University. I have been a
trial lawyer in criminal and juvenile courts
for over 15 years. I am Christian. I primarily represent the poor. I speak Spanish. I
am board certified in juvenile law by Texas
Board of Legal Specialization.
Me gradué de South Texas College of
Law y de la Universidad de Baylor. Como
abogado he litigado tanto en los tribunals
penales como en los tribunals para menores
por más de quince años. Soy cristiano y
represento mayormente a los pobres. Hablo
español y estoy certificado por la Junta de
Especialización Legal de Texas en Derecho
para el Menor.
The most critical issue facing the courts is
dealing with the overwhelming number of
defendants and the struggle to achieve justice without overburdening taxpayers with
endless tax hikes to build more jails and prisons. I will use more community supervision
and restitution options for non-violent defendants, so they can remain productive citizens
while still answering for their offenses.
Our current system of electing judges ensures
that they are not beholden to the politics of
the sitting governor. However, I believe that
the elections should be non-partisan. Judges
should not be elected because of what people
believe they will do based on their political
affiliation. Political beliefs have no place in
a courtroom.
I will select attorneys based on their demonstrated levels of experience in defense work
as required by the Fair Defense Act. This
system prevents inexperienced attorneys
from handling complex cases. I will further narrow the pool of appointed attorneys
by refusing to appoint any attorney whose
performance I know falls below professional
standards.
(60 word limit)
El problema más critico que enfrentan los
tribunals es lidiar con el agobiante número
de acusados y la lucha por hacer justicia
sin agobiar a los contribuyentes con interminable alzas en impuestos para construír
más cárceles y prisiones. Usaré más supervisión comunitaria y opciones de restitución
para ofensores no-violentos para que puedan
seguir siendo ciudadanos productivos pero
al mismo tiempo respondan por sus ofensas.
(60 word limit)
Nuestro sistema actual para elegir jueces
asegura que estos no esten comprometidos
con la política del gobernador vigente. Sin
embargo, creo que las elecciones deberían
ser no afiliadas. Los jueces no deberían ser
electos por lo que la gente cree que harán
basados en su afilición política. Las creencias
políticas no tienen lugar en un tribunal.
Seleccionaré abogados basándome en los
niveles de experiencia que hayan demostrado
como defensores, tal como lo require el Fair
Defense Act. Este sistema evita que abogados sin experiencia manejen casos complejos. Más aún, reduciré el grupo de abogados
de oficio al rehusarme a asignar a cualquier
abogado cuyo desempeño sea por debajo de
los estándares profesionales.
INVESTIGUE DÓNDE VOTA SU PRECINTO EL DÍA DE LAS ELECCIONES:
Llame al 713.755.6965
ó al 713.368.2200
10
www.harrisvotes.com
or www.hcvoter.net
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
The public has lost faith in our criminal justice
system because of crime lab scandals, jail
conditions, and the perception of inadequate
representation for the indigent. That confidence can be restored by making the crime lab
independent, efficient use of bonding, probation, and treatment programs, and implementing the public defender program so that it is
efficient and productive.
Bipartisan elections because the focus should
be on the background and qualifications of
the candidates, not preconceived notions of
a party label or affiliation. Judges should be
selected based on their individual ability to
apply the law fairly and objectively and to
serve as stewards of the justice system, free
from political agendas.
With or without a public defenders office,
appointments will be necessary. I would
appoint lawyers based upon: (1) my personal
observation of their integrity, legal ability and
diligence; (2) their standing and reputation
among peers; (3) compatibility with the case
and client; and (4) past performance as evaluated by the clients, a “customer satisfaction”
survey if you will.
(60 word limit)
(60 word limit)
TRENT GAITHER
continued
Twenty three years as a trial lawyer, trained
by “Racehorse” Haynes and Mike Ramsey.
Former briefing attorney for Texas Supreme
Court. Recognized nationally (‘AV’ professional rating) and locally as a Top Houston
Lawyer for both Criminal Defense and as
Lawyer for the People. Law degree from the
University of Houston.
248th
Veintitrés años como abogado, especialmente
presentando casos legales en frente del juicio
jurado, educado directamente de los legendarios abogados “Racehorse” Haynes y Mike
Ramsey. Abogado anterior para el Tribunal
Supremo de Tejas. Reconocido nacionalmente (máximo grado posible, ‘AV’ profesional del sistema Americano) y localmente grado
de superior de “Abogado Primero de Houston
(Top Houston Lawyer)” para la defensa criminal y igual clasificacion del grupo reconocido
“abogado para la gente.” Graduado en estudios
de la ley, la Universidad de Houston.
El público ha perdido la fe en nuestro sistema
criminal de la justicia debido a escándalos
del laboratorio del crimen, condiciones de la
cárcel, y la opinión que los indijentes accusados reciben la representación inadecuada. La
confianza puede ser restaurada haciendo el
laboratorio del crimen independiente; adoptando mas eficiente, programas bajo fianza
para los acusados, personas bajo de la libertad
condicional, y personas en programas del
tratamiento. También de poner una programa
público del defensor en que sea eficiente y
productivo.
Elecciones bipartidarios porque el enfoque
debe estar en el experiencia y las calificaciones de los candidatos sin nociones o
preconcebidas de una etiqueta del partido o la
afiliación. La seleccion de los jueces debe ser
basada en su capacidad individual de aplicar
la ley objetivamente y servir como administradores del sistema de la justicia, libres de
agendas políticas.
Con o sin una oficina pública de los defensores, las citas de abogados asignados por la
corte serán necesarias. Designaría a abogados
basados sobre: (1) mi observación personal
de su integridad, capacidad legal y diligencia;
(2) su situación y reputación entre pares; (3)
compatibilidad con el caso y el cliente; y (4)
la manera en que trabajan con sus clientes,
según lo evaluado por los clientes, como “una
encuesta sobre la satisfacción de cliente.”
257th-269th
SANDRA PEAKE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 257 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
TOM BERG – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 262 nd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
ALVIN NUNNERY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 263 rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
KATIE KENNEDY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 269 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
BOB THOMAS
I have been a civil attorney in Harris County for two decades,
and I retired from the Houston Police Department with twenty
years of service. My 40 years of work experience, as a twelve
year mediator and as a thirteen year hearing examiner equips
me to judge fairly.
CHARLES SPAIN
270th
Sharpstown H.S., Rice University, Baylor Law School. I have
served the Texas judiciary as a staff attorney for twenty years,
reviewing trial records and drafting over 800 opinions for the
courts. This experience has given me a deep understanding of
the judicial process. Learn more: SpainForJudge.com.
I believe the role of a Judge is to apply not make the law, by
listening, understanding and acting as a neutral referee. My
commitment to the citizens is to serve the 270th court wisely
and with impartiality, to treat every litigant with respect, and to
operate my courtroom with efficiency as a responsible steward
of taxpayer dollars.
The current method of selecting judges has been in force for
more than 40 years. The State Bar and the Texas Supreme
Court have not been able to create a better method of selecting
judges after more than ten years of consideration.
I believe the constitutional right to trial by jury is under
attack. The use of binding arbitration in consumer transactions and other tort reform measures are conditioning the
public into effectively abrogating that right. While the courts
cannot change these statutes, they can help draw attention
to the problem and encourage the legislature to protect this
fundamental right.
There is no perfect way to select judges. But requiring judges
to campaign helps keep them connected with the public. While
working for the Texas Supreme Court, I asked Justice Kilgarlin
about this. He believed meeting with voters was a humbling
experience that made him a better person and judge, and far
outweighed the negative aspects of campaigning. I agree.
La escuela Secundaria de Sharptown, la Universidad de Rice,
la escuela de Derecho de la Universidad de Baylor. He servido
como abogado para la judicatura de Texas por veinte años. Las
responsabilidades consisten en revisar los expedientes de los
procedimientos judiciales y componer la primera forma por
más de 800 fallos. Esta experiencia me ha dado una comprensión profunda de los procedimientos judiciales. Se puede
aprender más en: SpainForJudge.com.
Creo yo que el proceso de derecho constitucional con jurado
está siendo atacado. El uso de arbitramiento vinculante relacionado con las transacciones del consumidor y otros actos con
el fín de reformar los remedios civiles, han acondicionado al
público y esto a su vez se refleja en que no se tiene ese derecho.
Aunque las cortes no pueden cambiar los estatutos escrítos
por la asamblea legislativa, las cortes de todas formas pueden
llamar la atención al problema y fomentar en la asamblea un
interés para conservar ese derecho.
LEE ARELLANO
Court integrity. From a judge refusing to keep a court open to
accept an afterhours petition to stay an execution to judges' sex
scandals, the public views this branch of government, as the
others, with a jaundice eye. Term limits of all elected officials
would help limit the corruption that develops in elected officials who remain too long in office.
Board Certified, Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal
Specialization, 1991; BBA, University of Houston, 1975, cum
laude; JD, South Texas College of Law, 1981; Fellow, College
of the State Bar of Texas; Lawyer; 29 year civil practitioner;
State and Federal Court mediator, 20 years.
www.arellanoforjudge.com
280th
KATHY VOSSLER –
No hay una manera perfecta de seleccionar a los jueces. Se
requiere que los jueces hagan campañas para que les ayuden en
comunicarse directamente con la comunidad. Cuando yo trabajaba para la Corte Suprema de Texas, conversaba sobre esto
con el Juez Kilgarlin. El a su vez creía que al comunicarse con
la comunidad, era una experiencia de humildad que se sentía
ser una persona mejor y un mejor juez. Esta experiencia tenía
más valor que en vez de hacer campañas. Yo estoy de acuerdo
con este punto de vísta.
Everything is political. Whether judges are appointed or
elected, politics in the judiciary is rampant. Elected judges
should serve one 6-8 year term and be forced to retire. Similar
time limits should apply to appointed judges. This policy
would reduce the number of elections and relieve judges from
perpetually having to raise money from those who appear
before them.
11
JUDICIAL DISTRICTS 281ST – 295TH
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
Novel ideas to promote efficiency are desperately needed. For
instance, the Harris County District Clerk’s office has used
technology to allow unprecedented access to court records via
electronic means. Courts can continue this trend by ensuring
timely on-line access to relevant case information. Mediation
should be used to move cases to resolution, and judges should
work diligently to reduce backlog.
Lady justice wears a blindfold. Judges must be fair, independent and impartial. Politicized elections and campaign finance
issues have the potential of wearing away the independence of
the judiciary. A merit selection with a retention election may
be best to ensure independence. A judge would be appointed
and after serving a term would face the voters in an up-ordown vote.
Soy una litigante latina. Asistí a Rice, graduándome con
honores magna cum laude con tres especializaciones. Mi
licenciatura en Derecho es de la escuela de Derecho de UT. He
ejercido derecho exclusivamente en litigación civil compleja
por más de una década. He procesado juicios, publicado opiniones y trabajado en cientos de juicios de inicio a apelación.
Ideas novedosas para promover la eficiencia son necesitadas
urgentemente. Por ejemplo, la oficina del Secretario de Distrito
del Condado de Harris ha usado tecnología para permitir
acceso sin precedentes a archivos del juzgado vía medios electrónicos. Los juzgados pueden continuar asegurando acceso en
línea sin demoras a información relevante a juicios. La mediación debería ser usada para llevar juicios a una resolución, y
los jueces deberían de esforzarse diligentemente para reducir
el trabajo atrasado.
Doña Justicia tiene los ojos vendados. Los jueces deben ser
imparciales, independientes y justos. Elecciones politizadas
y asuntos financieros de campañas tienen el potencial de
perjudicar la independencia de la judicatura. Una selección de
meritos con una elección de retención podría ser lo mejor para
asegurar independencia. Un juez seria nombrado y después de
servir un mandato estaría en las manos de los electores en un
voto de “sí o no”.
DONNA ROTH
The most critical issue is balancing the administration of justice and fairness to the litigants before the court with the expediency of moving the court docket. The balance is achieved
through a full days work/five days a week, mediation, encouraging parties to talk, ruling fairly and promptly and having an
efficient hard working staff.
I believe that judges should be elected by the people and then
subject to a retention process every four years. The retention
process should include a board made up of lay persons and
lawyers. The public should comment and participate. The
judge’s record thoroughly reviewed. Lawyers should testify in
a matter where they should not have to fear retaliation.
Lo más crítico es el equilibro en la administración de justicia
y la equidad a los litigantes que viene ante las cortes con la
conveniencia de mover los expedientes de corte. El equilibrio
se consigue a través de días enteros y semanas completas de
trabajo, mediación, alentado a los dos partidos a hablar, hacer
un veredicto justo y rápido junto con un personal eficiente y
capacitado para el trabajo.
Preguntas para jueces de tribunales civiles del distrito, tribunales de familia, cortes civiles y cortes de sucesiones del condado Creo que los jueces deben ser elegidos por la comunidad
y ser sometidos a un proceso de retención cada cuatro años. El proceso de retención debe incluir un consejo compuesto
de personas laicas y abogados. El público debe opinar y participar. El registro del juez revisado minuciosamente. Los
abogados deben testificar sin temor que tendrán algún tipo de
desquite o represalia
The length of time it takes to go to trial. Unlike TV, it takes
about two years to go to trial. Today, most courts order parties
to mediation just before trial. I would encourage parties to
mediate earlier. This would help the parties who settled their
disputes; it would unclog dockets; and it would get the other
cases tried quicker.
Elections are the best way to ensure a fair, diverse and independent judiciary because, with the help of groups like the LWV,
voters can learn about the candidates and make their voices
heard. Appointing judges, by contrast, increases the chance
that the judiciary is dominated by one party or another and
increases the risk of influence by special interests.
El tiempo que toma para ir a juicio. A diferencia de lo que se ve
en television, toma aproximadamente dos años para ir a juicio.
En la actualidad, la mayoría de las cortes ordenan a los disputantes que entren en algún acuerdo antes de entrar a litigar. Yo
recomendaría a los disputantes que traten antes de mediar. Ello
ayudaría a ambos partidos a resolver sus disputas y por lo tanto
descongestionaría el número de expedientes y llevaría otros
casos a corte más rápido.
Elecciones es la mejor manera de lograr un sistema judidial
que sea justo, equitativo e independiente. Con la participación
de grupos como la Liga Femenil de Votantes, los electores
pueden informarse sobre los candidatos y hace que sus voces
se escuchen. La asignación de jueces por nombramiento
aumenta la posibilidad de que el sistema judicial sea dominado
por un partido u otro; como también aumenta el riesgo de ser
influenciado por intereses con agenda especial.
The most critical issue is the selection of fair and impartial
jurors. I would address it by giving attorneys a full opportunity to listen to jurors in the voire dire (selection of jurors)
process.
Election by the people.
JULIET KATHY STIPECHE
281st
I am a Latina litigator. I attended Rice, graduating magna cum
laude with three majors. My law degree is from UT Law. I
have practiced exclusively in complex civil litigation for over a
decade. I have tried cases, published opinions and worked on
hundreds of cases from inception to appeal.
I am a 1987 cum laude graduate and a 22 year civil trial litigator. I represent the people of Harris County. I represent abused
women, pro bono, in obtaining protective orders or custody of
their children. I serve as “judge” at the law school for students
participating in mock trial.
Soy graduada cum laude de 1987 y litigador de juicios civiles
por 22 años. Represento a la gente del Condado de Harris. Represento a las mujeres maltratadas, con trabajo pro bono, en
la obtención de órdenes de protección o custodia de sus hijos. Sirvo como “juez” en la escuela de derecho de estudiantes que
participan en juicios simulacros.
PAUL SIMON
295th
I graduated college and law school near the top of each class
and have handled a wide variety of cases, just like this Court
hears. I have an excellent reputation as a skilled lawyer, and
to prove it, I was endorsed by the Coalition of Harris County
Democratic Elected Officials.
Me gradué con muy buenas notas de licenciado y obtuve mi
doctorado en leyes; tengo experiencia en varias clases de litigios como los que esta corte usualmente trata. Tengo excelente
reputación en mi profesión como abogado, tanto que he sido
reconocido por la liga de oficiales electos del condado de
Harris por el patido demócrata.
REGINALD MCKAMIE
J.D., University of Houston Law Center; Board Certified
Personal Injury Trial Attorney; M.B.A., University of Southern
California; Certified Public Accountant, 23 years private practice trial attorney; business experience, Human Resources and
Finance at an oil and gas company, Retired Navy Captain.
FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE / Democratic Party
These courts in this division handle family matters: adoptions, birth records, child welfare and custody, child support, and marriage annulments and divorce. Judges are elected for four-year terms.
308th
JULIA MALDONADO
I received a Bachelor in Business Administration – Accounting
from the University of Houston-Downtown (1995), a Doctor of
Jurisprudence from Thurgood Marshall School Of Law (1998).
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas for 11plus years,
employed as attorney/mediator through my own firm, the
J. Maldonado Law Firm, P.C.
There are many critical administration of justice issue facing
the courts today, particularly the unfair and unbiased rulings
being handed by the current judiciary. I would apply the law
to the facts of the case. I come with no predisposition. I will
ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and without discrimination regardless of which attorney is representing the
litigant.
Judges should be elected by the people as provided by the
Constitution of the State of Texas. To ensure an independent
judiciary, candidates should run non-partisan and should not
receive contributions from attorneys practicing in said courts. Candidates for the judiciary should only be endorsed by organizations with a legitimate purpose and not set-up to evade the
right to vote.
Your vote is your voice. Be Heard
12
FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE continued / Democratic Party
QUESTIONS TO
Please describe your education, your occupation, and the
training and experience that qualify you for this position.
(50 word limit)
CANDIDATES:
Courts should function with the idea of dispensing justice
without bias toward the litigants and their attorneys. Outward
appearances and mannerisms should not be used or tolerated
against any litigant. Further, the cost of litigation should be
reduced when appropriate to do so. Under certain circumstances the children caught in the litigation may require counseling.
The Missouri Plan. If the judges are elected, then those judges
should face retention elections in order to keep their bench.
Having one’s day in court takes too long and costs too much. Parties should know they will be heard, they will be respected
and that their time is valuable. I have formulated specific plans
to make the court more accessible, to reduce the costs and time
involved and to ensure that everyone is given the attention
required by their case.
Elections are the best way to ensure an independent judiciary
but they need to be de-politicized as political party affiliation
appears inconsistent with the concept of an unbiased and
independent judiciary. Judicial races should be nonpartisan
or, alternatively, should be exempt from straight ticket voting
so that voters will focus more on a candidate’s qualifications
rather than political affiliation.
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
South Texas College of Law, 1979, University Of Houston,
1974, Economics, Texas A&M University, History, 1969. .
Solo Practice of law from 1970 to 1993.. 1993 to 2005, Gulf
Coast Legal Foundation. 2003 to present, solo private practice. I have handled Family Law, Criminal Law, Worker’s
Compensation and Appellate cases.
BRUCE KESSLER
I graduated from Rice University and the University of
Houston Law Center. I am a family law attorney and mediator. I am Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board
of Legal Specialization. I am a former Family Court Associate
Judge and a visiting Family Court special master.
309th
308th continued
PORFIRIO ‘POPPI’ DIAZ
BILL RICE –
TAMMY CRAFT DEMMING
One of the most critical issues facing the administration of justice that I see is in criminal courts. There are alleged offenders
that must wait months sometimes years for a trial. However,
a judge that is accused of a misdemeanor offense of official
oppression can receive a speedy trial. Harris County literally
has thousands of inmates accused of more serious (///).
A judge whose campaign is not 100% funded by attorneys and
organizations with an agenda would ensure a more independent judiciary.
Delays in family court hearings are partially due to overwhelming case loads. The delays are expensive for families
and cause prolonged emotional turmoil. Currently, there are
over twice as many civil courts as family courts and their
caseloads are much smaller. A pilot program could be jointly
developed to utilize civil judges as resources for overflow hearings.
There are too many candidates for most voters to make
informed decisions about qualifications of all of them. An
independent, bipartisan organization that reviews candidate
experience, temperament, and legal qualifications might be a reasonable solution with retention elections implemented to
eliminate judges who do not meet the necessary expectations
of their judicial role.
He practicado la ley de Familia por 30 años en la firma
Dougherty & Dougherty. Enseñé Mediación y Resolución
de Conflictos en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de
Houston. Tengo grado en Artes (BA) y Maestría en Trabajo
Social (MSW) de la Universidad de Texas, y Doctorado
en Jurisprudencia (JD) de la Universidad de Houston.
He construido mi carrera sirviendo con integridad, respeto, y con soluciones reales para las familias necesitadas.
www.judydoughertyforjudge.com
Las demoras de las cortes de familia son debidas en parte a
la gran cantidad de casos. Las demoras son costosos para
los litigantes, y causan un prolongado precio emocional.
Actualmente, hay más del doble de cortes civiles que cortes de
familia y la cantidad de casos es menor. Un programa piloto
podría desarrollarse conjuntamente para utilizar jueces civiles que ayuden a agilizar los juicios.
Hay muchos candidatos para los votantes determinar cuales
son los candidatos mejores calificados. Una organización
independiente bipartidista que revise la experiencia de los candidatos, temperamento, y calificaciones legales, podría ser una
solución razonable, con elecciones de retención implementadas
para eliminar jueces que no llenan los requisitos esperados
para el trabajo judicial.
DAMIANN CURVEY BANIEH
Equal access to the courts seems to be the biggest problem in
our courts. Non-English speaking pro-se litigants are limited
in their ability to represent themselves in Family Court. I
pledge to make courts more accessible by utilizing community
resources to ensure interpreters are available for non-English
speaking pro-se litigants who wish to represent themselves in
court.
Partisan elections are the only way to ensure an independent
judiciary. Judicial candidates do not have the independent ability to draw voter interest in their races, which is why political
parties are necessary. If non-partisan elections were held, only
wealthy people who could afford expensive campaigns would
be able to run for office. This would not ensure an independent
judiciary.
Overcrowding in the Family Law courts, both in the halls and
on the daily docket, makes it difficult to conduct hearings and
final trials on a timely basis. I will encourage resolution of
cases through mediation and collaborative law, work to revive
plans for a new “Family Law Center,” and support legal services and counseling for low income families.
The broad discretion afforded to Family Court judges must be
exercised carefully and without regard to any personal agenda
shaped by political affiliation or beliefs. Non-partisan elections
are the only way to insure an independent judiciary, and the
election of judges in each county and/or judicial district should
be independent from other state wide elections.
The greatest challenge facing our family courts is keeping
pace with the changing face of American families. We’re
diverse culturally, ethnically, economically, and ever evolving socially. Nuclear families are no longer the rule. Judges
should be knowledgeable of these societal differences and how
they impact family values, then take them into account when
deciding cases.
Partisan elections give voters some idea of the values and
beliefs of the candidates based on party affiliation, but too
often party affiliation is the sole basis for their vote. A better
method would be to choose judges in non-partisan elections.
This approach should motivate more voters to educate themselves on the qualifications of the individual candidates.
I attended Texas A&M University, University of HoustonDowntown, and South Texas College of Law. My degrees
include a B.S. in Criminal Justice, a J.D, and a Certificate
of Mediation. Today, my practice focuses solely on civil,
criminal, and family law issues. As a child I witnessed family
members be murdered (///)
310th
JUDY DOUGHERTY
Practiced Family Law for 30 years with Dougherty and
Dougherty. Taught mediation and dispute resolution at UH
Law Center, have a BA and MSW from UT, a JD from UH.
Built my career on service, integrity, respect and real solutions
for families in need. www.judydoughertyforjudge.com
I am a family law attorney whose experience as an Adoption
Recruiter with DePelchin and a teacher in Aldine ISD have
provided me with real world opportunities to help repair families in crisis. I am a graduate of UT Austin and received my
law degree from Texas Southern University.
311th
DEBORAH WRIGHT
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I have practiced exclusively in the area of Family Law for
more than 30 years. Board Certified in Family Law in 1987,
and trained in Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Law,
I have served as Associate Judge in the 310th Family District
Court and the 257th Family District Court.
STEVE HERSKOWITZ
I earned my BBA and JD from UT. I’m a 20-year lawyer,
former CPA and recognized expert in family conflict. As an
attorney/mediator for the Harris County Domestic Relations
Office for ten years, I’ve mediated over 2,000 family cases
exactly like those I’ll handle as a judge.
13
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
For family courts it is handling the volume of cases in manner that permits individual attention each case deserves; the
cases are many, the courts are few; families need and deserve
a ruling that considers the uniqueness of each family; also the
explosion in the number of cases attributable to children born
to children that are not equipped for parenthood.
A system that combines some form of local selection sponsored by the legal community to insure sufficient experience
combined with elections not to exceed a specified maximum
term of years for judicial services to insure turnover of office
holders would be preferable.
311th continued
BRAD MORRIS
312th
ROBERT HINOJOSA –
Rice University 1972; South Texas College of Law 1976;
Licensed 1977; 33 years civil transaction and litigation experience: 17 years private practice civil litigation and transactions;
3 ½ years Family Court Associate Judge; 11 years practice focusing on family law litigation and mediation; Board
Certified, Family Law 1998; Credentialed Distinguished
Mediator.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
experience that qualify you for this
administration of justice issue facing the
courts? How would you address it?
feel best ensures an independent
judiciary? (60 word limit)
represent indigent defendants in your
court? (60 word limit)
J. ANTHONY REFERENTE
The courts need greater transparency and
accountability in order to ensure that they
remain independent, impartial and maintain
the highest level of integrity. As a judge, I
would never engage in discriminatory practices, consistently rule fairly and ethically, and
apply the law on an independent, individualized case by case basis. I will always stand for
integrity and justice.
An independent judiciary is best ensured
through the election process. Elections guarantee that the people, over whose cases the
judges preside, maintain the power to qualify
the effectiveness of the judiciary. The people,
through guidance provided by groups such as
the League of Women Voters, should determine who decides some of the most important
issues in their lives.
In the Juvenile Courts, the Fair Defense
Management Act System manages the
appointment of attorneys to juvenile defendants based on a rotation system. Attorneys
must apply for and qualify to be added to
the System. I would strictly adhere to that
system. For CPS cases, I would ensure that
indigent clients receive representation fairly
based on needs.
Creo que los tribunales necesitan mayor transparencia y responsabilidad para asegurarse
que permanezcan independientes, imparciales
y mantengan el más alto nivel de integridad. Como juez, no incurriría en ninguna práctica
discriminatoria, formularía decisions justa
y éticamente y aplicaría la ley de manera
individual segûn se requiera caso por caso. Defenderé siempre la integridad y la justicia.
Pienso que el proceso de elección de jueces
asegura un poder judicial independiente. Este
proceso garantiza que la gente, cuyos casos
preside el juez, mantengan la abilidad para
calificar la efectividad del poder judicial. La
genta, con la ayuda de grupos tales como la
League of Women Voters, deberían determinar quien decide algunos de los problemas
más importantes en sus vidas.
En los Tribunales para Menores, el Fair
Defense Act Management System manda la
asignación de abogados para menores de edad
acusados de conducta delincuente se base en
un sistema rotatorio. Los abogados deben
solicitar y calificar para ser incluídos en la
lista. Yo me adheriría estricamente a ese sistema. Para los casos de CPS, me aseguraría que
los clients indigentes reciban una representación justa basada en sus necesidades
Juveniles facing criminal charges need attorneys who are the best qualified to handle their
I am an attorney who graduated from the cases. The court must be streamlined to allow
University of Houston Law School in 1974. parents to return to work and juveniles to
I then worked for legal aid for 5 years. I am return to school as soon as possible.
the only candidate board certified in juvenile
law, having tried every case from trespass to Jóvenes delincuentes enfrentando cargos
criminales necesitan ser representados por
capital murder in juvenile court.
abogados quienes so los más calificados. La
Yo soy un abogado graduado de la escuela de Corte debe ser simplificada para permitir
leyes de la Universidad de Houston en 1974. que padres regresen a sus trabajos y que los
Después, di cinco anos de servicio a Legal jóvenes regresen a sus estudios lo más pronto
Aid. Soy el único candidato que esta certi- posible.
ficado en leyes juveniles y he representado a
jóvenes en todo tipo de casos.
It is unlikely that either major party will
change the law to eliminate partisan election
for judges. Therefore it is critical for organizations such as yours to educate voters on
the competency of any candidates seeking
election as judges.
I would appoint only the best qualified attorneys to represent juveniles according to the
seriousness of the allegations against them. The Texas Fair Defense Act was passed to
assist in this process but I have found judges in
the juvenile courts ignoring the requirements
of this law. Juveniles need the best qualified
attorneys to represent them.
NATALIE OAKES
Judges can continue to be elected, serving with term limits so as not to become
entrenched in their power. When a Democrat
or Republican is selected as judge, due to the
party affiliation, the public has a good idea
where this person stands on certain issues.
The public should have a choice of which
judges are affecting their lives.
I attended Strake Jesuit College Preparatory,
Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.,
and the University of Houston Law Center. As
a prosecutor for the Harris County Attorney’s
Office and as a defense attorney for the last
9 years, in 13 years, I’ve tried over 500 cases
and 13 jury trials.
313th
Estudié la prepararoria en Strake Jesuit
College Preparatory, la universidad en
Georgetown University en Washington D.C.,
y en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad
de Houston. He ejercido en Derecho para el
Menor durante 13 años, al principio como abogado acusador para Harris County Attorney’s
Office, y en los ûltimos 9 años como abogado
defensor. He enjuiciado más de 500 casos y 13
juicios por jurado.
(60 word limit)
MARC ISENBERG
I am a parent of a teenage boy; I understand
kids. • I am a former schoolteacher; I understand the educational system. • I've spent my
entire legal career working in Juvenile Courts
handling felonies, misdemeanors and cases
for abused and neglected children (CPS cases);
I understand the law.
I want to focus on effective rehabilitation
programs and fairness to achieve optimum
results. Even with no support at home, juveniles can be guided to see their potential and
contemplate their future. Juvenile Probation
will track the success of these programs.
Resources will be used on rehabilitative measures to prevent them entering the adult system at later date.
Es improbable que ningún partido político cambie la ley para eliminar elecciones
partidarios para jueces. Entonces es crítico
que organizaciones como la suya eduque a
votantes sobre las calificaciones de candidatos
para juez.
Designaría solamente los abogados mas calificados para representar a jóvenes según la
seriedad de las alegaciones contra ellos. El
Acto de Defensa Justa de Texas fue creada
para asistir en este proceso pero creo que jueces en las cortes juveniles ignoran los requisitos
de esta ley. Jóvenes necesitan abogados más
calificados quien los represente.
Lawyers certified to practice in Juvenile
Courts are currently chosen on a rotation
basis with a choice of 5 eligible lawyers
for each appointment. The Court chooses
one of those lawyers. Only lawyers qualified for that charged offense can be selected
(Misdemeanor, 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree felony).
When a court uses this rotation properly, the
appointment system should work.
Candidate replies are published without editing or verification.
Each candidate is solely responsible for the content of the material submitted.
14
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
Graduate UT, South Texas College of Law; 27
years criminal and juvenile courts protecting
children, preserving family, preparing juveniles
as contributing members of society, promoting
job training and after school activities through
partnership and mentoring with the city, business community, neighborhood and community
groups, school districts and churches.
DAVID LONGORIA
BBA, Texas A&I, 1970; Juris Doctor, UofH,
1972. I am an Associate Judge with over 16
years of full-time judicial experience including 11+ years in Juvenile Court and currently
5+ years in Child Support Court. Please visit
my website for more detail: davidlongoria.org
314th
represent indigent defendants in your
court? (60 word limit)
Recidivism of juvenile respondents due to
untreated mental heath issues which can be
addressed by increasing the participation of
private sector mental health professionals. In
addition, we need more job training programs
to enhance respondents’ self-esteem and allow
them to become contributing members of
society by soliciting job internships and training from the private and corporate sectors.
Publicly funded, non-partisan judicial elections drawing from candidates screened by a
state bar of Texas qualifications committee.
Preferably through a public defender system;
however, until such system is in place, I would
appoint language appropriate attorneys based
on their certification, experience and ability,
but never based on their political contributions, if any, to my campaign.
Competency and advocacy of participants
in and outside of the courtroom including
lawyers, caseworkers and probation officers.
I would work to make all participants in
my court more accountable by requiring the
highest standards of ethics, and attempt to
remedy any deficiencies in their legal training
by teaching and encouraging them to achieve
a higher level of performance.
I believe judges should either be elected in a
non-partisan election, or be appointed by a
Judicial Commission comprised of lawyers
and lay persons, and then stand for retention
elections every four years. These methods,
although not perfect, could help minimize politics, emphasize qualifications, and help towards
establishment of an independent judiciary.
I would select only attorneys who have the
required amount of legal training including
drug, alcohol, and mental health components; meet with their clients sufficiently in advance
of hearings; and truly perform well in court. I would limit the number of cases they are
handling in my court so they can devote the
appropriate time each case deserves.
Yo creo que los Jueces deberían ser electos
en elecciones apolíticas (non-partisan), o que
sean nombrados por una comisión Judicial
compuesta de abogados y personas seglares
y luego quedarse e ir a elección cada cuatro
años. Estos métodos, a pesar de que no son
perfectos, pueden ayudar a minimizar políticas, enfatizar calificaciones y ayudar hacia el
establecimiento de un sistema Judicial independiente.
Yo seleccionaría solamente abogados que tengan la cantidad requerida de entrenamiento
legal incluyendo drogas, alcohol y componentes de salud mental; que se reunan con sus
clientes con suficiente antelación a las audiencias que actúen verdaderamente bien en el
Tribunal. Yo les limitaría el número de casos
que ellos estén manejando en mi Tribunal para
que puedan dedicar el tiempo apropiado que
cada caso merece. The most critical issue is restoring people's
faith in the justice system. The integrity of
the judiciary was tarnished by a local judge's
recent conviction on an official suppression
charge. Particularly, in the juvenile courts,
where the majority of the litigants are indigent, justice must be administered indiscriminately
and compassionately because every decision
has a profound effect on children's lives.
The current method of selecting judges in
partisan elections is flawed. In order to run a
viable campaign judges must solicit contributions which often come from attorneys who
practice before them. This gives the appearance of impropriety. I support a system where
judges are first elected in non-partisan elections and then stand for re-election in retention
elections.
I support the establishment a public defender's
office which removes the responsibility of
selecting attorneys from the judge. Under
the current system, I will strictly adhere to
the requirements of the Fair Defense Act
and appoint only experienced and competent
counsel to represent indigent juveniles. I will
also appoint spanish speaking attorneys to
spanish speaking families.
La cuestión más importante es restablecer
la fe del pueblo en el sistema de justicia. La
integridad del poder judicial se vio empañada
por la reciente condena a un juez local en la
supresión de un cargo oficial. En particular,
en los tribunales de menores, donde la mayoría de los litigantes están en la indigencia,
la justicia debe ser administrada de manera
indiscriminada y con compasión, porque cada
decisión tiene un profundo efecto en la vida
de los niños.
El método actual de escoger jueces en las
elecciones partidarias es errónea. Con el fin
de ejecutar una campaña viable jueces tienen
que solicitar contribuciones, que a menudo
provienen de los abogados que se presentan
ante ellos. Esto da la apariencia de impropiedad. Yo apoyo un sistema donde los jueces son
elegidos por primera vez en las elecciones no
partidistas y luego presentarse a la reelección
en las elecciones de retención.
Yo apoyo la creación una oficina de defensor público, que elimina la responsabilidad
de seleccionar los abogados de la juez. Bajo
el sistema actual, adherire estrictamente a
los requisitos de la Ley de Defensa Justa y
nombrar solamente abogados experimentados
y competentes para representar a los menores
indigentes. También voy a nombrar a los abogados que hablan español para representar a
las familias que hablan español.
Why there are myriad of important issues the
most expense issue to taxpayers is court efficiency particularly docket resets. For instance
each time a youth in detention case is reset it
cost the taxpayers in access of $250.00 per day
until the case is deposed of. I plan to reduce
the practice of automatic resets and to personally handle all (///).
Judges should be elected by single member
districts similar to Justice of Peace Courts.
Through single member districts the judges
would be representative of the people that
they serve and not concentrate from one particular section of the county. Judges should
non-partisan.
First of all I support a Public Defender System
however in lieu of a PDS I would select attorneys using the following criteria: Attorneys
would be required to undergo an extensive
training; Rank attorneys by levels based on
their experiences and certifications; Attorney
must successfully pass an annual performance
appraisal. Appoint attorneys for Juvenile and
CPS earlier in the process.
(60 word limit)
JOHN STEPHEN LILES
BBA Texas A&I, 1970; Doctor en
Jurisprudencia, U de H, 1972 Yo soy un Juez
Asociado con más de 16 años de tiempo completo con experiencia Judicial incluyendo más
de 11 años en los Tribunales Juveniles y actualmente más de 5 años en los Tribunales de
Manutención de Menores. Para más detalles
por favor visite mi página en la red (Website):
davidlongoria.org
BILL THURSLAND
BA Georgetown University 1976; JD, South
Texas College of Law; 1981; 28 years of trial
experience. Specialized in handling CPS
cases representing both children and parents
at the trial and appellate level. I am qualified
to represent juveniles in all levels of delinquency cases, including capital murders and
appeals.
28 años de experiencia en juicios.
Especializado en el manejo de casos de CPS
en los cual se representa a ambos los niños
y los padres al nivel del juicio y la apelación.
Estoy calificado para representar a los menores en todos los niveles de casos de delincuencia, incluidos los homicidios y las apelaciones.
315th
administration of justice issue facing the
courts? How would you address it?
KEITH BRANCH
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology,
Master’s Degree in Social Work and Doctorate
of Jurisprudence. I am licensed by the State
Bar of Texas, United States District Court for
the Southern District of Texas and certified
by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission.
Since 1990 I practice civil, criminal and (///).
Competencia y defensa de participantes dentro y fuera del Salón del Tribunal incluyendo
abogados, asistente social y oficiales de probatoria. Yo trabajaré para que todos los participantes de mi Tribunal sean más responsables
exigiéndoles los más altos niveles de ética e
intentar remediar cualquier deficiencia dentro de su entrenamiento legal enseñándoles
y alentarlos a alcanzar un nivel más alto de
funcionamiento.
COUNTY JUDGE / Democratic Party
This judge resides over commissioners court, which has budgetary and administrative authority over county government operations. This office is responsible for calling elections, posting election notices and for receiving
and canvassing the election returns. The county judge may perform marriages. This office is also head of civil defense and disaster relief, and county welfare. The County judge is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
COUNTY
GORDON QUAN
Gordon Quan was raised in Houston and
is a graduate of H.I.S.D, UT (BA), UH
(M.Ed) and the South Texas College of
Law(J.D). He served on Houston City
Council ( 2000-2006) and was voted
“Council Member of the Year” by HPOU,
“Friend of the Homeless”, “Bridge
Builder.” Gordon has consistently (///)
What are three important issues
facing the county at this time? How
would you address them?
(60 word limit)
Economic development: We need to
recruit more large companies and make
helping small and medium sized businesses a priority. More small and medium
sized businesses will provide the rapid
job growth Harris county needs. Justice
System: We need to stop the revolving
door system at county jails, and work on
removing the homeless and mentality ill
from the criminal justice (///)
QUESTIONS
TO
CANDIDATES:
AHMAD HASSAN
I have a Juris Doctorate in law, a
Bachelor of Science in human resources
management and have an undergraduate
degree in engineering. I am a natural and
responsible leader. Furthermore, I am a
people’s person, with a talent that allows
me to arbitrate and mediate between
various situations. Please see (///)
What are three important issues
facing the county at this time? How
would you address them?
(60 word limit)
Emergency Management and Homeland
Security. Economic growth and fiscal
responsibility. Improved quality of life.
Addressing property taxes (Formal and
informal review, should be the same
day).
15
COUNTY COURT AT LAW JUDGE / Democratic Party
Has jurisdiction over all civil causes and proceedings, original and appellate prescribed by law for county courts. Each judge is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
ERICA M. GRAHAM
COURT 1
I graduated cum laude from Tulane Law School. I have
practiced civil litigation in Houston for over 12 years. I have
represented clients in both state and federal courts in counties
throughout Texas in litigation involving toxic tort, environmental, employment, personal injury, oil and gas and general
commercial claims.
STEVE REILLEY
Law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas.
Mediator certification from University of Houston. Lead
counsel representing Plaintiffs and Defendants in nearly
2,000 cases. Jury trial experience in federal and state court.
Volunteer lawyer for those in need, including Hurricane Ike
victims.
Licenciatura en leyes de la Universidad de Tejas. Certificación
de Mediador de la Universidad de Houston. Abogado principal representando demandantes y demandados en casi 2,000
demandas. Experiencia en juicios de jurados en cortes federales y estatales. Voluntario como abogado para aquellos con
necesidad, incluyendo victimas del Huracán Ike.
CHERYL ELLIOTT THORNTON
COURT 2
I have my BA from Trinity University, MA from St. Mary’s
University and JD from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. I
have been a practicing attorney for over 23 years, serving as
Administrative Law Judge and Assistant Attorney General for
the State of Texas and General Counsel for a university.
DAMIAN E. LACROIX
I received a JD from Southern Methodist University School
of Law in 2000 and a BBA in Finance from Texas A&M
University in 1996. I am a litigation Attorney. My practice
focuses on commercial and civil litigation and business and
real estate transactions. I represent both plaintiffs and defendants.
Recibi un doctorado de los juris de Southern Methodist
University School of Law en 2000 y un bachiller en finanzas
de Texas A&M University en 1996. Soy un abogado de litigacion. Mi experiencia enfoque en litigacion comercial y civil, y
en tramitaciones comerciales y de bienes raices.
Docket overcrowding and backlog, which I would strive to
alleviate by: 1) creating a submission docket, which allows
motions to be decided upon the papers submitted, unless a
hearing is requested; 2) utilizing pre-trial diversion methods
early in the life of matters; and 3) giving serious consideration
to and granting viable motions for summary judgment in
appropriate cases.
I believe that holding public elections is the most appropriate
mechanism for selecting an independent judiciary, because the
citizens of the community have the opportunity to be involved
in the selection process and are ultimately the ones who decide
which Judges will preside over the cases that directly affect
their lives.
We must restore trust in our courts, which are tarnished by
scandal and concern that those who contribute the most to
judicial campaigns have an unfair advantage in court. We
need experienced and unbiased judges, who acknowledge this
problem. We must bring transparency to the courts – all contributions, appointments, and court orders should be published
on the internet.
The judicial selection process should be considered and controlled by Texas voters – not by judges. As long as we have an
elected judiciary, we must restore trust in our courts by bringing transparency to process – all contributions, appointments,
and court orders should be readily available for public scrutiny
allowing the voters to make a more informed decision.
Debemos restablecer confianza en nuestras cortes, cuales
están empañadas por escándalo y preocupación que los que
contribuyen más a las campañas judiciales tienen una ventaja
injusta en las cortes. Necesitamos jueces imparciales y con
experiencia, que reconozcan estos problemas. Debemos traer
transparencia a las cortes - toda contribución, nombramiento, y
mandato judicial debe ser publicado en el internet.
The most critical area is fairness within the courts. In order to
address this issue, I would issue summary judgment motions
only when warranted, and allow both parties the opportunity
to be heard. Further, I would not formulate opinions based
upon the color of one’s skin, one’s gender or one’s economic
circumstance.
Currently, we have the system of electing judges because the
system of appointing judges disproportionately discriminated
against ethnic minorities and women. Until such history is
corrected, the election of judges, as hard as that process is, is
the best system in place.
Crowded dockets. There are only four County Civil Courts in
Harris County. A case can linger for two years before going to
trial. This increases the cost to the parties and overburdens the
courts. In this regard, it is my goal to resolve all cases within
eighteen months by way of mediation or trial.
Elections. The right of the people to elect their judges based on
each candidate’s qualifications, experience and temperament
better ensures an independent judiciary.
Listas de causas pendientes llenas. Hay solo 4 cortes civiles
del condado en el Condado Harris. Un caso puede tardar dos
anos antes de llegar al corte. Asi aumenta el costo para los
participantes y sobrecarga los cortes. Por eso, es mi meta de
resolver todos los casos entre 18 meses por medio de mediacion o jucio del corte.
COURT 3
DAMON CRENSHAW
4
Elecciones. El derecho del pueblo de eligir sus juezes basado
en las calificaciones, la experiencia, y el temperamento de cada
uno, asegura mejor una judicatura independiente.
The courthouse must be open and fair to all, regardless of
personal traits or community status. All staff, lawyers, and
For 24 years I have practiced civil trial law representing plain- parties should know this is the people’s court. I will be fair to
tiffs and defendants, giving me a balanced and fair perspective. all, honest and hard-working. Appointment of special comI have had over 1000 cases and over 50 trials. Certified media- missioners should reflect county diversity. Court administrator. JD South Texas College of Law; BBA, Accounting, Texas tion and rulings will be impartial and efficient.
A&M University. DamonCrenshawForJudge.com
Las cortes deben de estar disponibles y ser justas para todos.
He practicado las leyes civiles por 24 años, y he representado a Las cortes le pertenecen a la comunidad. Yo trabajaré duro y
demandantes y demandados. He manejado más de 1000 casos seré justo y honesto. Para las disputas de valores de propiedad,
y más de 50 juicios. Soy mediador, también tengo un doctorado Yo asignare a las personas que reflejen la diversidad de la
en leyes de South Texas College of Law y un título de contador comunidad. Las decisiones legales serán eficientes, imparciade la Universidad de Texas A&M.
les y justas.
DamonCrenshawForJudge.com
Each method of judicial selection has benefits and flaws. I prefer non-partisan election of judges. Citizens, rather than political insiders, would choose the judges. Candidates would be
compelled to reach out to voters rather than political insiders. Elections would not be overly influenced by straight party voters who have no interest or knowledge of judicial candidates.
JAVIER VALENZUELA
While there are pros and cons with any method of selecting
judges, Texas has opted to elect our judges. I feel that if the
public has enough information about us as candidates and
our individual judicial philosophies then they will make wise
choices. For more information about my candidacy please visit
www.javierforjudge.com.
I graduated from TCU and South Texas College of Law. I am
a civil litigator of nearly 10 years with trial experience. I am a
certified civil and family mediator. I have a general law practice and I am committed and dedicated to creating a positive
professional environment in court.
Me recibí de TCU y de la Escuela de Leyes de South Texas
College. Tengo cerca de 10 años de experiencia en litigio civil. Tengo certificaciones como mediador civil y de lo familiar.
También cuento con experiencia de leyes en general y me
he propuesto y comprometido a crear un ambiente positivo y
profesional en la corte.
16
El proceso de selección judicial debe ser considerado y controlado por todos los votantes de Tejas. - no por los jueces. Siempre en cuando tengamos una judicatura elegida, debemos
restablecer confianza en nuestras cortes trayendo transparencia para procesar - toda contribución, nombramiento, y mandato judicial debe estar fácilmente disponible para inspección
pública permitiendo que a los votantes hagan una decisión más
informada.
BRUCE MOSIER –
The most critical issue involves the human factor. Judges must
be consistent in their administration of justice. They must
make the choice to consider each case conscientiously without
ideological predisposition. I will make the choice everyday
to listen to the litigants and base decisions on facts and law
rendering swift, just and impartial judgments. I am committed
to this proposition.
La cuestión más importante es el factor humano. Los jueces
deben demostrar un modo consistente al administrar la ley.
Deben elegir el considerar cada caso conscientemente y
sin predisposiciones ideológicas. Yo tomare la decisión de
escuchar a los litigantes diariamente y basar mis decisiones
en los hechos y la ley de representación de una manera pronta,
justa e imparcial. Estoy comprometido a esta propuesta.
Todos los métodos de como seleccionar a los jueces tienen
ventajas y desventajas. Yo prefiero que las elecciones sean sin
ninguna afiliación a partidos políticos. Si fuera de esta manera,
los candidatos tendrían que buscar el apoyo de los votantes y
no de los políticos. Las elecciones no serian tan influenciadas
por los votantes que votan por un partido o por el otro sin
conocimiento de las calificaciones de
Aun cuando hay pros y contras con cualquier método de
selección de jueces, Texas ha optado por el método de elecciones. En mi opinión, si el publico tiene suficiente información sobre nosotros los candidatos y nuestras filosofías
judiciales, entonces la elección de la población será optima.
Para información de cómo contactarme favor de dirigirse a
www.javierforjudge.com.
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT AT LAW 4
COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW JUDGE / Democratic Party
Has jurisdiction over all criminal causes and proceedings, original and appellate prescribed by law for county courts. Each judge is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
BEVERLY D. MELONTREE
I feel that the bond schedule, mandatory
interlock devices and pre-trial services are the
most critical. First time offenders should be
entitled to a personal bond on minor crimes
and more serious crimes committed should
have a reasonable bond. At all times, the victim’s and defendant’s welfare should be taken
into consideration. Also, repeat offender’s
bonds should be reasonable so (///)
A bipartisan election system ensures an independent judiciary. It gives the judge the
opportunity to rule on his or her beliefs by
following the law and the evidence presented
and not in compliance with his or her party
affiliation.
I will use the court system’s wheel. I will control that process and not the court coordinator. Favoritism is very apparent amongst certain
attorneys and coordinators. This favoritism at
times is not beneficial to the defendant. I will
select competent attorneys that appear on the
wheel for the month. Also, I will be fair and
give each and every attorney (///)
The congested court dockets delay administration of justice. Reducing the docket by limiting the time and number of resets of
cases and creating ancillary courts exclusively handling the large volume of DWI
cases will ensure a more efficient and fair
processing of defendants and protection of
victim rights.
I believe that nonpartisan election of judges
would ensure a more diverse field of judicial
candidates and minimize partisan politics and
promote independent interpretation of the law.
I would follow the computerized rotation
system established from a public appointment
list of qualified attorneys. If a defendant had
special needs, e.g.,mental llness or unusual
language or cultural needs, I would appoint
attorneys who are trained or familiar with the
issues so as to properly manage and facilitate
the accused’s progression through the criminal justice system.
One is the most critical issues facing the
courts throughout the country is citizen interest and participation. I believe that our schools
should emphasize the need the importance
of citizen participation in the jury system as
well voting in national and local elections. Of
course we need to take an interest in the election of good judges.
I think the present system works when our citizenry take an interest in our judiciary. There
has been a lot of talk about a blue ribbon panel
selection of judges, but such a system probably
would name qualified candidates, but may
omit a true cross section of our society.
I would select attorney that would well represent their client rather than one that might try
to enter into a quick deal that may circumvent
the rights of the accused.
I support the creation of a Harris County
Public Defender’s Office. There is a wide
degree of variability in competence and experience among court appointed attorneys. The
administration of the criminal justice system
in Harris County would be more efficient and
equitable if there were a Public Defender’s
Office to provide indigent defendants with
effective counsel.
I support the creation of an independent and
bi-partisan judicial commission that would
screen and appoint judicial candidates for
appointment to a court for an initial four year
term. Appointed judges would earn reappointment for subsequent terms by winning
retention elections in which voters would
mark “yes” or “no” on a ballot as to whether
the judge should be retained.
I would require that any attorney seeking
court appointments in my court to provide
me with a resume detailing his/her criminal
law experience and to schedule an interview. I would appoint only attorneys who I deem
to be competent. It is my duty as a judge to
ensure that defendants with appointed counsel
are well represented.
Dockets are really large at this time. I would
be available to have afternoon dockets. I
would also be willing to come to court earlier
to start court at an earlier time to get more
case heard.
Judges should not be selected based on their
political party but their qualifications.
The county has a screening process for attorneys to be appointed to represent indigent
defendants. From the list of attorneys selected I would choose the most qualified from
the list.
We need to implement a system whereby more
pretrial bonds are issued. We have overcrowded jails. In proper situations we should take the
burden from the tax payers and release more
individuals pending resolution of their cases. I would strive to get these individuals back to
their families and jobs.
The voters should continue to elect their
judges so that we maintain our democracy. A possible improvement could be the nonpartisan election of the judiciary much like
the system used presently to elect municipal
officials in Houston.
Until such time as we have a Public Defender’s
Office I would use the method set up by the
Texas Fair Defense Act passed in 2001 by the
Texas Legislature. In order to be selected for
the program a defense attorney must apply
and meet certain criteria to be qualified and
eligible to represent indigent defendants.
Education: Tyler Junior College, A.A. (Cum
Laude), 1980 East Texas State University,
B.S., 1983 University of Houston, J.D., 1990
Occupation: Travis County and District
Attorney’s Office, Austin, Texas (19911994); Director of the Oil Spill Division
(Environmental Law – criminal prosecution)
at the Texas General Land Office (1994-1998);
Linebarger, Heard, Goggan, Blair, Pena (///)
COURT 1
ANTHONY LIMITONE
I obtained a Master’s Degree in Criminal
Justice. I obtained a law degree from
Thurgood Marshall School of Law, ranked
fifth in my class. Initially, I worked as a Senior
Trial Attorney for the U.S.E.E.O.C. I have
been practicing law for 26 years; 20+ of which
are primarily criminal law.
LOUIS MCWHERTER
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I have a Bachelor of Science from Southern
Illinois University and a Juris Doctorate from
Texas Southern University, Thrurgill Marshall
School of Law. I have been a practicing attorney for 34 years from 1976 until the present.
I have represent over a thousand clients, and
have tried all classes of (///).
COURT 2
MILES J. LEBLANC
I am a Dartmouth College and Harvard Law
School graduate. I served as an Assistant
District Attorney for over six years in Taylor
County, Texas, where I prosecuted felony
offenses ranging from DWI to murder. As a
prosecutor, I handled over 1000 criminal matters and tried almost 60 cases.
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
MARY CONNEALY
ACOSTA
I have a BBA, MBA and J.D. I worked my way
through school and raised my child as a single
parent. I have been practicing criminal law
since I was licensed in 1994. I work in both
state and federal court.
4-8
COURT 3
JUDITH SNIVELY
I have a B.A. from Ohio State University
and law degree from South Texas College
of Law. I have practiced law since 1987
and have handled over 3,000 criminal cases
as a defense attorney in the Harris County
Criminal Courts. I speak Spanish which is an
invaluable asset.
(60 word limit)
Soy diplomada de Ohio State University y he
recibido la liceciatura en derecho de South
Texas College of Law. He practicado como
abogada desde 1987. He manejado más de
3000 casos criminales como defensora en
los tribunales penales del condado de Harris.
Hablo español, lo cual es de incalculable valor.
Deberíamos implementar un sistema donde
se otorguen más fianzas previas al juicio.
Nuestras cárceles están con su capacidad
excedida. En casos apropiados, deberíamos
reducir la carga del costo al contribuyente y
dejar en libertad a más individuos con casos
pendientes. Me esforzaría por conseguir que
estos individuos puedan volver a sus familias
y trabajos.
LLOYD WAYNE OLIVER –
Los votantes deberían continuar eligiendo a
sus jueces para mantener nuestra democracia.
Una posible mejora sería la elección de jueces
sin afiliación a partidos políticos, como lo es
en el sistema de elección de cargos municipales en Houston.
ALFRED G. “AL” LEAL – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 4
ALFRED “BUD” VALDEZ – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW
DENISE SPENCER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 6
SHELIA ACOSTA – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 7
EUGENE NEWSOM – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 8
Hasta que tengamos una Oficina de Defensoria
Pública, yo usaría el método establecido por la
Ley de Defensa Justa de Texas aprobada en el
2001 por la legislatura de Texas. Para poder
ser seleccionado a participar en el sistema,
todo abogado defensor debe aplicar y cumplir
con ciertos criterios para ser calificado y apto
para defender a acusados indigentes.
5
17
COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW JUDGE continued / Democratic Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
The most critical administrative judicial
issue facing Harris County courts is the overcrowding of our county jails with non-violent
defendants. I will address overcrowding by
assuring that qualified defendants accused
of minor offenses receive personal bonds and
that non-violent mentally ill defendants are
evaluated timely to receive the help that they
need instead of languishing in our county jail.
I believe to better ensure an independent
judiciary, our judicial elections should be
non-partisan, similar to our city elections. An
innovative, beneficial idea would be to have
each candidate evaluated by an independent
board which would determine if they meet
minimum qualifications. The qualified candidates would then run for election without any
political party affiliation.
Although my selection of court appointed
attorneys will be somewhat limited by the
Fair Defense Act, I will require each attorney
accepting appointments in Court #9 to thoroughly represent their client. Each will be
required to determine the defendant’s mental
health status, their qualification for personal
bond and community supervision and to thoroughly investigate the facts.
Currently in misdemeanor courts the main
issues are proper representation of indigent
defendants and adjustment of bail system.
Personal recognizance bonds should be used
when appropriate. These changes would help
prevent innocent people from pleading guilty
just to get out of jail. I would not assign too
many cases to court appointed lawyers.
There are good and bad points to the different systems. I prefer non-partisan election of
judges. I would prefer higher levels of relevant
experience before a lawyer can run for judge. Now, 5 year lawyers who have never done
criminal defense work can run for criminal
benches.
Under the present system I would select the
most qualified lawyers. I will not accept contributions from lawyers I appoint in my court. I favor a properly funded public defenders
office.
It is my belief that the most critical issue to the
administration of justice is the lack of proper
I have a B.B.A concentration in Accounting usage of a courtroom. When elected the
School of Business, TSU 1969; Thurgood courtroom will be utilized from 9am – 5pm
Marshall School of Law, 1973. I am a Lawyer Monday through Friday in order to decrease
who has been licensed in excess of 36 years. the backload of cases, thereby better serving
I have had the privilege of representing the the administration of justice as well as the
citizens of this and other counties within the citizens of Harris County.
state of Texas (///)
It is my fervent belief that judges should be
elected by district, i.e. if you live in a district such as Independent Heights, Woodland
Heights, Studewood Heights and little adjacent districts thereto, then you would have a
candidate from that area running to represent
that district court and the people that constitute that district like the state of Louisiana. Which (///)
I truly believe in order to circumvent lawyers
feeling obligated to the court we should enact
the public defender system. This would keep
total independence between parties, that is
the district attorney, defense attorney and the
court.
LORI CHAMBERS GRAY
Incorporating peer review with community
input would be helpful and add oversite. The
more the public knows about the judiciary the
more they would become involved. The public
is smart. We can do a better job of letting
them know about the inner workings of the
courts. We must be accountable to the public
and not special interest.
The fair defense management system is a good
start. I would personally invite the attorney’s
working in my court to a monthly afternoon
brown bag lunch to discuss our respective
concerns and goals. Currently there is no such
dialog between the attorneys’ and the court. I
believe communication is the key and would
be very helpful.
JUANITA JACKSON
BARNER
COURT 9
• B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University
of Alabama, J.D. from Thurgood Marshall
School of Law • Over 11 years legal experience • Former Texas Assistant Attorney
General • Handled over 850 criminal cases.
Practice dedicated exclusively to criminal law. Certified for court appointments in all Harris
County courts
SILVIA PUBCHARA-MUNOZ
24 years exclusively practicing criminal law,
first as Ft. Bend assistant district attorney and
later as a criminal defense lawyer. Handled
thousands of cases and over 60 jury trials in
State and Federal Courts. BA University of
Houston, Law Degree, South Texas College of
Law, SilviaForJudge.com
Por 24 años he practicado solamente las leyes
penales. Primero como Fiscal en Fort Bend
County y luego como abogada criminalista.
He manejado miles de casos criminales y he
tenido más de 60 juicios por jurado. Obtuve mi
título en Ciencias Políticas en la Universidad
de Houston y mi Doctorado en Leyes en South
Texas College of Law
(60 word limit)
El principal problema de las cortes que manejan los casos de crimines menores como en esta corte, es la representación legal adecuada de los acusados indigentes. Las fianzas
dadas por la corte deben ser usadas cuando
el caso lo amerita. Estos cambios ayudarían a
que las personas inocentes se declaren culpables solo por salir de la cárcel. No le daré a un
abogado de oficio demasiados caso para que
puedan representar al acusado propiamente
11
COURT 10
GRANT U. HARDEWAY, SR.
I receive the doctor of jurisprudence degree
from South Texas College of Law. Over the
past 20 years I have handled many criminal
cases. I have defended people from all walks
of life and desire to serve all people in the
spirit of justice with compassion.
MARK DIAZ –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 11
CHERYL HARRIS DIGGS
COURT 12
I am a graduate of Georgetown University
(5/1992) and the University of Houston Law
Center (12/1997). I have been licensed since
5/1/1998. I handle criminal cases in state and
federal court. I speak Spanish. I was a bilingual pretrial officer for Harris County Pretrial
Services from 1992 to 1997.
Graduo de la Universidad de Georgetown mayo 1992 y la Universidad de Houston
Facultad de Derechos diciembre 1997. Recibio
mi licencia 1 de mayo 1998. Soy abogada de
ley criminal en las cortes estatales y federales. Yo hablo espanol. Trabajaba para el Condado
de Harris desde 1992 a 1997.
ROBERT 'BOB'
CARDENAS
Educated at UT-Austin, Michigan Law
School. Native Houstonian, bi-lingual, experienced trial attorney. I have worked as a prosecutor and public defender. I am a mediator and
arbitrator. I have practiced in over twenty-five
counties throughout the state and know what
makes a good court and judge.
18
A critical issue facing the courts is the mentally ill and homeless that enters the revolving
door of the Harris County courts. I would
implement a computer program to identify
and track these individuals and provided services to them. Over time this would save the
taxpayers of Harris County.
Docket management. Ensuring that every
defendant gets their ay in court is more important than the number of pending cases on the
docket. Defense attorneys, prosecutors and
defendants are pressured to resolve cases
quickly. It takes time to investigate cases. I
will not force quick pleas or quick trials in
my court.
Gestion de los casos. Es mas importante para
los acusados a recibir justicia. Abogados
defensores, la fiscalia, y los acusados son
presionados a terminan los casos rapidamente. Ellos necesitan tiempo para investigar
los datos de los casos. Yo no voy a fuerzar
declaraciones de cupable rapidos y no voy a
fuerzar juicios con jurados rapidos en mi corte.
Probation. Probationers are currently being
given probationary conditions on a an assembly line basis, as though one size fits all. I
would screen all individuals seeking probation. I would tailor their probation conditions
to meet their needs. I would review their
progress every two months. I want them to
succeed. I want probationers to leave my court
knowing they’ve changed.
I believe that electing judges ensures an
independent judiciary. Non-partisan elections
could ensure even more judicial independence. Limiting attorney campaign contributions in courts where attorneys regularly
practice would impact judicial independence. Appointing judges sets a scenario where
appointees would feel obligated to be loyal to
the governing body’s political party.
Yo creo que elecciones de los jueces asegura
poder judicial independiente. Elecciones sin
los partidos politicas pueden asegurar mas
poder judicial independiente. Un sistema de
jueces designados pueden crear un sistema
donde los designados van a ser fiel al partido
politica que esta en el poder.
The Missouri plan, where attorneys chose
judges and only had them face periodic recall
elections, is entirely too secretive. Voters
should choose their judges. The problem is
money. The source of each campaign contribution should be posted on the internet. I want
to know each donors’ employment and have
candidates post their donations weekly.
I would refer to the approved list of attorneys
eligible for appointments provided by the
administrative office of the Harris County
Courts. Once a public defender’s office is
established, then I would use public defenders
if their services are available for use by the
county criminal courts. I would also use third
year law students in clinical programs.
Yo voy a usar el guia de los abogados aprobados a recibir cases designados del Condado de
Harris. Cuando el oficina del defensor publico
se abra, yo voy a usar los defensores publicos
si los jueces en las cortes criminals del condado pueden usarlos. Tambien, yo voy a usar
los estudiantes en el tercer ano del studio de
los derechos.
I would interview them. I would ask them
about their experience. Specifically, I would
be looking for attorneys who were combining their criminal law experience with their
knowledge in areas such as mental health,
immigration law or substance abuse. I would
pay attention to their enthusiasm and make
sure that the attorneys chosen had a genuine
interest in the welfare (///).
COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW JUDGE continued / Democratic Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
JOHN O’SULLIVAN
COURT 13
BA: JD: Practicing attorney for the past 25
years in the Criminal and Civil Courts. I have
handled thousands of cases and have an in
depth knowledge of the Substantive Laws:
the Penal Code and Codes of Procedure and
Rules of Evidence.
DENNIS SLATE
14 - 15
I have a BS from Texas A&M and a law
degree from University of Houston. I have
practiced criminal law since 2001. I am
currently an Associate Judge for the cities of
Houston and Pearland. You can read about my
qualifications and judicial philosophy at http://
www.SlateforJudge.com
(60 word limit)
Clogged dockets: the arbitrary application of The election process as we have today.
the laws: the disparate dispensation of justice
among the courts and slow elevators in the
Justice Center. I would adhere to the principles
laid down by the Constitution, the objectives
of the Penal Code, the Rules of Criminal
Procedure and Evidence. This would promote judicial economy and fairness to defendants
and victims.
The current protocol assures a fair and
qualified pool of attorneys. These attorneys
are screened and tested to determine a level
of competency. They have to maintain mandatory annual continuing legal education in
criminal law. The judge selects attorneys
from a computer generated array. (I oppose
the creation of a public defender office.)
Indigent defense. We need to have a public
defender’s office in Harris County; set up in
the model of the Federal Public Defender.
The judges, citizens, and the County
Commissioners need to push for this reform. We can use the tax dollars paid to appointed
attorneys to fund the PD’s office, to ensure
better representation and services to the indigent.
I would personally interview any attorney
interested in indigent appointments in my
court. I would ensure they were capable and
experienced for the type and nature of the
cases I may appoint them. I would maintain a
list of the qualified lawyers and monitor their
cases. I would require these lawyers to maintain their continuing education requirements
in criminal law.
I believe voting for judges is better than
appointing judges. Citizens need to have a
voice in who makes the types of decisions
judges make. I believe that if the party identifier was removed from the races, which would
then eliminate the ability to vote a straight
ticket, that people would study the ballot more
closely before placing their votes.
LEE HARPER WILSON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 14
TONI MARTINEZ INGVERSON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT
LAW 15
HARRIS COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE / Democratic Party
This court has jurisdiction over the probation of wills, appointment of guardians, and the settlement partition and distribution of estates. Probate Courts Nos. 3 and 4 share processing of the mental illness dockets with
staff support by Court No. 3. Each judge is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
1
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
KATHY STONE –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT NO. 1
JOELLEN SNOW
Law Degree: UT School of Law, 1978; Master of Public
Affairs: LBJ School at UT, 1979; attorney in private practice
in Houston, 30 years, exclusively in probate, guardianship,
and estate planning for the past 20 years; Associate Municipal
Court Judge, City of Houston, for the past 27 years.
COURT. NO. 2
Impropriety when judges favor attorneys and parties who are
major campaign contributors. The probate courts should establish a uniform system for appointment of attorneys, maintain
the maximum fee schedule, and limit total fees. Judges should
be required to recuse themselves in cases where a participant
is a major contributor. Campaign contribution limits should be
made mandatory.
It is nearly impossible for voters to cast educated votes in all
65 contested judicial races on the Harris County ballot. I favor
selection of judges by a bipartisan diverse commission with
retention elections allowing voters to terminate them if necessary. This system would produce more consistently qualified
judges and eliminate the influence of campaign contributors.
Es casi imposible que los votantes votan de una manera
informada en cada una de las 65 carreras judiciales con contendientes que aparecerán en la balota del Condado de Harris.
Yo prefiero una selección de jueces por una comisión diversa
y bipartidista con elecciones de retención que permiten a los
votantes de terminarlas si sea necesario. Este sistema produciría jueces calificados con más consistencia y además
eliminaría la influencia de de los contribuyentes de campañas.
Titulo de Derecho: UT School of Law, 1978; Titulo de
Maestría en Asuntos Públicos: LBJ School at UT, 1979;
Abogado con Bufete Particular en Houston, 30 años , exclusivamente en asuntos testamentarios, de guardián, y planeamiento de herencia por los últimos 20 años ; Juez Asociado
de Tribunal Municipal, Ciudad de Houston, por los últimos
27 años.
Impropiedad cuando jueces favorecen a abogados y a partes quienes son contribuyentes notables a campañas. Los Tribunales
Testamentarios deben establecer un sistema de una forma
única para el nombramiento de abogados y mantener el límite máximo de la lista de honorarios y poner un límite al total de
los honorarios. Se debe requerir a los jueces a recusarse en
tales casos cuando un participante es un contribuyente notable.
Limites a contribuciones a campañas deben ser mandatorios.
MICHAEL J. SKADDEN
First, reform to make the probate courts more user friendly
and cheaper for those who resolve their estates by streamlining
procedures. Second, the filing system must be computerized.
Third, the courts must be welcoming to all persons, regardless of class, race or gender, and strictly impartial. See www.
michaelskadden.com and www.skaddenforjudge.org
It would be best for the governor to appoint judges, subject to
approval of the State Senate and to voter recall by referendum.
The current elective system leads to the suspicion of corruption
and influence by contributions to judicial elections, and voters
generally don’t know the candidates. The most popular lawyer
will not necessarily make the best judge.
Primero, reformas para que el tribunal sea de uso más fácil para
el ciudadano y mas económico para los que tienen que resolver
sus sucesiones. Segundo, los archivos han de ser informatizados. Tercero, los tribunales tienen que estar abiertos a todos, sea
cual sea su clase, raza o género, y absolutamente imparciales.
Vea www.michaelskadden.com y www.skaddenforjudge.org
Sería mejor que los nombrara el gobernador, sujeto a la aprobación del senado del estado y a la posibilidad de destitución
por referendum popular. El actual sistema de elecciones lleva a
sospechas de corrupción y influencias por las donaciones a las
campañas judiciales, y los votantes generalmente no conocen a
los candidatos. El abogado mas popular no es necesariamente
el mejor juez.
International probate and corporate lawyer in practice since
1992. Fluent in Spanish and French; offices in Houston and
Madrid. Courses taught on probate and other matters. MA,
Rice (1977), PhD, Texas (1984), JD, Texas (1986). Extensive
pro-bono civil rights work. Very active in Democratic politics:
legislative candidate in 2000.
Abogado empresarial y de sucesiones de derecho privado
desde 1992. Español y francés corriente;despachos en Houston
y Madrid. He enseñado numerosos cursos sobre el derecho de
sucesiones y otros temas. MA, Rice (1977), PhD, Texas (1984),
JD, Texas (1986). He hecho mucho trabajo gratis en pro de los
derechos civiles. Muy activo en el partido Demócrata: candidato legislativo en 2000.
YOU MAY TAKE THE VOTERS GUIDE
INTO THE VOTING BOOTH!
★
Since 1995, there’s no law
prohibiting printed materials in the polling place.
★
19
HARRIS COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE / Democratic Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
PRISCILLA WALTERS
I’m a native Texan with a Nursing degree from TWU and a law
degree from the University of Houston. I’ve been a civil trial
lawyer for 19 years. “I can do a better job for this community as
Probate Judge. I will provide fair, common sense, financially
efficient service.”
COURT. NO. 3
Favor describer su educacion, su ocupacion y capacitacion de
experience que lo qualifique para esta posicion. Soy nativa
de Texas con una Licenciatura en Enfermeria de TWU y una
Licenciatura de Leyes de la Universidad de Houston. He sido
abogada civil por 19 anos. “Yo puedo major ayudar a la comunidad como Juez de Sucesiones. Seria yo justa y mi servicio
seria eficiente financialmente.”
MARY GALLIGAN
A graduate of the University of Houston Law School, Mary
Galligan is a board certified attorney who has been practicing
in probate courts for over 22 years. Mary is a founder of law
firm, Galligan & Manning, and an adjunct professor at South
Texas College of Law.
Graduada de la Universidad de Houston Escuela de Leyes,
Mary Galligan es una abogada certificada por la comision que
ha estado practicando en cortes de legalizacion por más de 22
años. Mary is fundadora de la agencia de abogados, Galligan &
Manning, y profesora adjunta en South Texas College of Law.
4
TAMMY MANNING –
The Courts are too expensive and the judges play favorites. In Probate Court 3, I would start a pro bono program
for those who cannot afford a lawyer. I would also start an
Ombudsperson program so that there is system to address
public complaints and suggestions for the Court.
Public election of Judges ensures the most independent judiciary. In Texas, appointed Judges serve in the Federal Courts
for life. If they are not doing a good job, there is no way to fire
them. If an elected Judge is performing poorly or unfairly, the
people can vote them out of office. www.priscillawalters.com
Las cortes hoy en dia cuestan demasiado y los jueces hacen
muchos favores. En el Juzgado Testmentario Numero 3 yo
empezaria un programa realizado gratuitamente para las personas que no tienen suficientes fondos. Tambien empezaria
un programa de defensor del pueblo para tener un sistema para dirigir quejas y sugencias para la corte.
La eleccion publica de los jueces seria lo que mas daria aseguranza de un juzgado independiente. En Tejas, los jueces
son designados por vida. Si estos jueces no estan haciendo su
trabajo bien no hay ningun metodo de despedirlos. Si este juez
fuera seleccionado por la gente, la gente misma podria votarlos
fuera del juzgado. www.priscillawalters.com
Campaign contributions to judges by attorneys who appear
before them create the impression that justice is for sale. I
have taken a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from
attorneys who regularly practice in probate court. If elected, I
will continue this pledge for future elections.
The two most important goals in judicial selection are independence and accountability. Independence could be achieved
through the creation of a commission which selects candidates
eligible for appointment by the governor. Accountability could
be achieved by requiring that the commission be elected, then
after a term of years, the public would vote on whether to retain
the judges or not.
Las contribuciones de campaña a los jueces de parte de abogadas que aparecen en frente de sus cortes da una impresión que
justicia está a la vente. Me compromitdo a no acceptar contribuciones de campaña departe de abogados que regularmente
practican en cortes de legalizacion. Si elegida, continauare con
esta promesa en futuras eleciones.
Los dos objetivos más importante para la selecion judicial
es la independencia y reponsabilidad. Independencia puede
ser alcanzada por la creación de una comisión que selecciona
candidatos que luego pueden ser designados por el gobernador.
Responsabilidad puede ser alcanzada si la comisión es elegida,
y despues de un período de años, el público vota si conserver
o no los jueces.
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT NO. 4
CNTY
DISTRICT CLERK / Democratic Party
LOREN JACKSON –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK
COUNTY CLERK / Democratic Party
This department keeps the public records of the county, including those filed by the general public with the County Clerk and all records of actions of Commissioners Court, the probate courts, the county court and
county civil courts-at-law. The clerk handles all special and general elections called by the county and provides for assignment of voting equipment and supplies to polling places. This office also trains and coordinates
election officials and tabulates election returns. The County Clerk is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
COUNTY
ANN HARRIS BENNETT
14 ½ years Court Coordinator State Civil District Court
12 years legal secretary in defense and plaintiff law firms
12 ½ years genealogy research
The National Center for State Courts
Texas Center for the Judiciary
Sam Houston State University
Harris County Resources and Risk Management
SUE SMITH SCHECHTER
I am uniquely qualified for the office based on my educational
and professional background of a BBA from University of
North Texas, J. D. from South Texas College of Law, being a
former State Representative and Chair of Democratic Party
and a lifetime community volunteer.
What do you think are the primary challenges of this position and how will you address them? (60 word limit)
How would you improve the Harris County voting process
to optimize convenience and surety? (60 word limit)
Moving the County Clerk’s Office into the 21st century. I will
bring modern digital technology needed to manage an organized, productive, efficient, technically functional user and
customer friendly Harris County Clerk’s Office.
I would like to see more days of early voting, computerized
internet voting, computerized kiosh voting places, progressive
digital storage capacity and security that would assure that
every legal vote is counted.
As a user and a former elections officer, I know the problems
in the various departments in the office, such as the real property records, probate court filings and the election system, that
need to be fixed and will work diligently and quickly to correct
them by bringing efficiency, accessibility and accountability
to the office.
First, I would make sure Harris County is proactively preparing for the next generation of voting machines by having a
bi-partisan commission review our present system and recommend improvements for the next generation of machines.
I would appoint an IT committee to review ballot security
measures and recommend safeguards. Voting locations should
be reviewed for accessibility and visibility. CNTY
COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR (Unexpired Term) / Democratic Party
DIANE TRAUTMAN –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR
CNTY
COUNTY TREASURER / Democratic Party
20
BILLY BRISCOE –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY TREASURER
COUNTY SCHOOL TRUSTEE / Democratic Party
This office serves as a member of the School Board, which is the governing body of the County Department of Education. The Board appoints the county school superintendent and arbitrates controversies between
independent school districts within the county. Members serve without pay and are elected to six-year terms.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
What impact can a County School
Trustee have on public education?
(60 word limit)
QUESTIONS
TO
CANDIDATES:
What impact can a County School
Trustee have on public education?
(60 word limit)
VICTOR LOMBRANA –
MIKE ROSE
Provide the responsible guidance to our
school districts to generate proper comGraduate of Indiana University. mon sense education for our children—
Professional in the Oil Industry our future.
Fabrication. Carried a major in education
but chose not complete and education
degree. Worked as a substitute teacher. Fiscal management and responsibility to
customers by owning my own business.
POS. 1, PCT. 2
COUNTY COMMISSIONER / Democratic Party
2
SYLVIA R. GARCIA –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 2
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE / Democratic Party
Have jurisdiction over criminal misdemeanor cases punishable by fine only, e.g. assault, bail jumping, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, bad check writing, public intoxication, theft. Hears civil cases involving up to
$10,000. Handles miscellaneous complaints, performs marriages, issues commitment papers for the mentally ill, issues search and arrest warrants. Judges are elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
1, 2
What is the most critical issue
facing the Justice of the Peace
courts and how would you
DAVID M. PATRONELLA –
2, 2
CANDIDATES:
your occupation, and the training
and experience that qualify you
for this position. (50 word limit)
GEORGE E. RISNER –
CANDIDATES:
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR PRECINCT 1, PLACE 2
DENISE GRAVES
I received my J.D. from South Texas
College of Law and my B.S. from Sam
Houston State University in Criminology
& Corrections. I have been a licensed
attorney for 21 years. My practice
includes, but not limited to, family,
criminal, juvenile, probate, civil, and
bankruptcy.
RAYMOND SANCHEZ JR
In today’s world, we are facing a serious
dilemma regarding juvenile delinquency
and a drastic increase in truancy in the
school districts. Once elected as Justice
of the Peace, I will work closely with the
school districts to bring new programs
that will help in assisting the students in
their every day lives.
6, 2
I have a Bachelor of Science in the
concentration of Criminal Justice.
I have been employed for the past 9
years with Judge Mike Parrott as his
Court Coordinator. I have experience
and understanding of the following dockets: Civil, Evictions, Motion Hearings,
Jury, Judge Trial, Truancy, Seizure and
Mental Health.
I believe the most critical issues facing
the JP Courts are juvenile matters. I
would evaluate the program(s) currently
set up to help them and it would be my
goal to implement new programs that
would be beneficial for the children as
well as the community. In order to
accomplish this task, it would be imperative to strengthen the relationship (///)
ARMANDO V. RODRIGUEZ –
7, 2
PRECINCT 3, PLACE 2
QUESTIONS
TO
ZINETTA A. BURNEY –
DANE LISTI
Graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree
in Business Law and a Doctorate in
Jurisprudence, I have the necessary legal
and administrative skills to address the
requirements of The Justice of the Peace
Court. I have been a Certified Mediator
since 1990, which makes me aware of the
benefits of conflict resolution (///)
DON COFFEY
University of Houston School of Law,
Juris Doctor University of Houston, B.S.,
Political Science and Sociology (Magna
cum Laude) I am an attorney. I have
practiced in JP courts for years and have
worked in education for 26 years as a college Regent and public school volunteer.
At this time, it appears that the juvenile
truancy docket is the biggest concern of
the community. My philosophy is to do
what it takes to make sure that the youth
get their education. I do understand that
the family dynamic is important when
addressing these issues and would like to
create programs that would require family participation. I believe (///)
Justice of the Peace Court 3-2 deals with
200 to 300 children each week. Better
solutions need to be found in dealing
with truancy and finding more effective ways to correct behavioral issues
of the children. Community service
opportunities need to be developed that
focus on educational improvement and
making the children productive successful citizens.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR / Democratic Party
GERALD ‘GERRY’ BIRNBERG –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR
REGISTER! DECIDE! VOTE!
It counts!
21
The races are listed by political party. Republican Party candidates begin on this page (22). Democratic Party candidates begin on page 3.
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE / Republican Party
Member of U.S. Congress. Serves in the House of Represetatives. The House originates revenue bills and, by tradition, appropriation bills. The House brings charges of impeachment for trial in the Senate. Both the House
and the Senate count electoral votes following a presidential election and, if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House chooses the President from among the top three candidates. The member is
elected for a two-year term. Rank-and-file member salary $174,000. Speaker of the House salary $223,500. Majority and Minority Leaders salary $193,400.
QUESTIONS TO
2 -7
CANDIDATES:
To begin with, the use of non-discriminating,
random, full searches at airports is a violation of our Constitutional protection against
unreasonable searches and seizures guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. We need to
quit using the “shotgun” approach and zero-in
on the probable suspects. Secondly, we must
control our borders!
First, carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring
gas that is vital to the cycle of life between
plants and animals. It is not a pollutant to be
regulated. The theory of “global warming”
is a smoke screen for more government. The
earth’s temperature will fluctuate regardless
of government regulations. Since the environment crosses State boundaries, it is a federal
issue.
If we follow Warren Harding’s successful
formula used in an earlier US depression, we
should slash federal spending and cut taxes. For a fuller discussion, search the web for the
article “Warren Harding and the Forgotten
Depression of 1920” by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
and read it. It is enlightening! Learn more at: www.mises.org.
Simple – Profile for terrorist. Israel’s system
works; they don’t look for weapons, they look
for terrorist. We know the last 36 terrorist
came from the same region, are of a specific
age range, religion, etc. We had a shoe bomber - The TSA reacts to having Americans
screen their shoes. Reacting to the latest
terrorist strategy will never defeat terrorism.
Define Harmful emissions. I do not accept
the premise that this is an important issue. The recent Copenhagen summit on Global
Warming has proven the movement to be
fraudulent. I will not support legislation that
penalizes American Industry as the Cap &
Trade bill currently does. Cap and Trade will
kill the US economy costing America ~10
Million jobs.
First: Cut taxes for business. Second: Stop
the stimulus II spending. Stimulus I has
not worked. I will promote the long term
incentives businesses need to grow in Harris
County. Additionally I’ll push to open up US
Oil and Natural gas resources to American
industry. I will get the Federal Government
out of the way of American business.
(60 word limit)
TED POE RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DISTRICT 2
JOHN CULBERSON RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR
STEVE MUELLER
American Legion Boys’ State – 1979; BS
Industrial Engineering – Texas A&M –
Magna Cum Laude - 1984; Certified Project
Management Professional; Business Analyst
& Project Manager; Father of 7 children; BSA
Troop Scoutmaster – 3 yrs; Experienced writing precise procedures and leading diverse
teams to achieve positive improvements.
DISTRICT 9
DAVE BANNEN
B.S. Electrical Engineering, Masters in
Business Administration Qualifications:
Strong Business background, Common sense;
Proven leadership and communication skills;
and a pro business philosophy. Manufacturer’s
Representative for almost 20 years, working with some of the largest companies in
the world, including Hewlett – Packard,
Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes,
and hundreds of other companies.
B.S. Ingeniería Eléctrica. Maestria en
Administrasiόn de Empresas. Calificaciones:
Fuerte historial de la empresa, sentido
comύn, demostrado liderazgo y habilidades
de comunicaciόn; y pro filisofiá empresarial.
Representante de Fabricantes por casi veinte
ańos, trabajando con algunas de las empresas
más grandes del mundo incluyendo HewlettPackard, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker
Hughes, y cientos de otras companias.
DISTRICT 7
Facil- Perfil de terroristas. El sistema de Israel
funciona; no busca armas, buscan terroristas.
Sabemos que los ύltimos treinta y seis terroristas provenian de la misma regiόn, son del
mismo rango de edad, religiόn, etc. Teniamos un “shoe bomber” – el TSA reacciona por
haber los Americanos chequiado sus zapatos.
Reaccionando a la ύltima estrategia terrorista
nunca derrotar al terrorismo.
MICHAEL MCCAUL
DISTRICT 10
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Definir las emisiones peligrosas. No puedo
aceptar la premisa que esta es una cuestion importante. La cumbre reciente de
Copenhagen sobre “Global Warming” ha
demostrado que el movimiento es fraudulento.
No voy a apoyar legislaciόn que peneliza la
industria norteamericana como el Cap y Trade
legislacion lo hace actualmente. Cap y Trade
va a matar la economiá, costando America.
En primer lugar, reducir los impuestos para los
negocios. Segundo, descontinuer usando los
fondos de Stimulus II. Stimulus I no ha funcionado. Voy a promover los incentivos a largo
plazo a empresas que necesitan para crecer
en Harris County. Además, voy a empujar a
abrir “US Oil and Natural gas” recursos a la
industria Americana. Voy a conseguir que
el gobierno federal salga del camino de los
negocios Americanos.
Focus military efforts on Afghanistan and
Tribal Areas of Pakistan where al Qaeda and
Third term representing TX10. B.A. in the Taliban have been allowed to reconstitute
Business and History, Trinity University. and continue to plot against the U.S. Address
J.D., St. Mary’s School of Law. Senior gaps in our intelligence community including
Executive Fellows Program of the Harvard visa revocation policies. Cease repatriation
Kennedy School of Government. Fmr of terror detainees to countries that sponsor
Chief of Counterterrorism, US Attorney’s terrorism. Continue securing borders, critical
Office. Federal prosecutor at DOJ. Ranking infrastructure including ports, financial and
member, Homeland Security Intelligence energy centers.
Subcommittee; Foreign Affairs Committee,
Science Committee.
Sponsored the American Energy Act, an “all
of the above” strategy which balances environmentally responsible drilling for oil and
natural gas in areas that are currently off limits with the need to develop alternative energy
such as wind, solar, hybrid, nuclear and green
technology.
Easing the tax burden on small businesses
will give them financial flexibility to expand
and hire more employees. Reform the tax
code making it simpler, more pro-growth, and
more competitive. Lower corporate tax rate,
2nd highest in the world at 35%, to 25% to
stop driving American businesses overseas.
Suspend capital gains taxes through 2010 then
cut the current rate.
RICK MARTIN
We need to stand firm as a country against
terrorism, including isolation of, and imposing
sanctions on, nations that sponsor terror. The
intelligence failures that led to the attempted
airline bombing on Christmas day must be
corrected, and the persons responsible for
these failures must be held accountable. We
must intelligently use technology to secure our
airports, borders, and ports.
I would support policies promoting energy
conservation and the use of cleaner energy
sources – wind, solar, and natural gas – to
help reduce harmful emissions. Legislation
employing market based incentives, such as
emission permits that can be traded, combined
with sensible emission reduction standards
can reduce harmful emissions at a lower total
cost than reduction standards alone.
To stimulate job growth the federal government should encourage job creation by the
private sector. Reducing taxes on small business will allow them to invest in, and grow
their businesses to create jobs. Government
regulations should be sensible and necessary.
The Federal government needs to control
and maintain the US border. Without secure
borders, we are leaving ourselves extremely
vulnerable. The Federal government must also
protect our ports. With so many containers
and air freight coming into the US, we must
make sure that terrorists do not start using
them as weapons.
It is not the job of the federal government to
reduce harmful emissions. The private sector and the public would set the standard for
reducing harmful emissions. I would support
legislation that would enact stronger private
property rights. If someone or their property
is infringed due to harmful emissions, they
should seek recourse. We do not need additional Federal regulations.
The Federal government should drastically
reduce spending and enact fair trade with
other countries. By reducing spending, we
could eliminate the corporate tax and reduce
personal taxes. Without these burdens, corporations would be better able to compete with
overseas countries and hire more domestically. Without cutting spending, we will be
pushing our children and grandchildren into
debt for our excesses.
I’m a physician and an attorney. I owned a
small business as a partner in a 20+ person
anesthesia group. My career, in medicine
and law, has been devoted to people and helping them with their problems. These are the
skills and experiences that I will devote to
representing you.
JOE PETRONIS
I graduated from Baylor University with
a BBA in Economics and from Vanderbilt
University with an MBA in Finance.
Currently, as a Program Manager at Dell
Inc., I ensure customers receive their products
efficiently. I have never run for public office
before and believe that outside views are critically important.
22
(60 word limit)
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
DISTRICT 18
JD + BA. Known for integrity and successful, efficient solutions. First career: financial
industry, VP for multi-national corporation.
Managed multi-million dollar transactions;
worked within a balanced budget; led teams.
Second career: attorney, where approximately
50% of work is pro bono (free) services.
JOHN FAULK
Earned an MBA and a BBA from the
University of Houston and completed the
Wharton Executive Management Academy. I
am a retired accountant, proficient in reading
and understanding financial statements. As a
business owner, I understand government cannot fix anything but continues to tell us how to
run our businesses.
22
PETE OLSON
Enforce existing immigration laws and
enhance border security. Provide appropriate
funding to national defense teams (military,
CIA). Strengthen and increase covert retaliation. Prosecute terrorists in military tribunals,
not civil courts.
Support legislation that stimulates or creates
alternate power sources. Increase rail and
other mass transportation services. Support
use of energy efficient construction (residential and commercial) through tax credits and
other incentives. Provide greater incentives
to industry to produce, and to consumers to
purchase fuel efficient automobiles. Provide
greater incentives for reducing harmful emissions. Utilize nuclear power.
Support free market systems. Reduce corporate payroll tax. Spin-off public entities
(Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, USPS, etc) to the
private sector. Provide appropriate support
to infrastructure needs (roads, bridges, etc)
to provide better ways and means of moving
goods across the country. Reduce corporate
funding requirements for unemployment compensation.
The security of our country is dependent on
border enforcement – porous borders allow
terrorists enter our country very easily. Aliens
must register so we know who and where
they are. We must employ highly educated,
well-trained agents who will actively profile
passengers. We must protect our hard assets
such as the Texas Medical Center and the Port
of Houston.
I support legislation to restrict government
regulation of any gas produced by the human
body – i.e. carbon dioxide, ammonia, or methane – under the disguise of protecting the
environment. Climate change is the result of
solar activity not human activity. The State of
Texas should be the primary enforcer of harmful emissions not the Federal government.
Cut taxes! Elimination of Capital Gain Taxes
and Death Taxes will stimulate economic
growth and jobs. A 17% tax on everyone’s
income with one standard deduction plus a
personal exemption for parents and children
will stimulate new jobs. A stable economy
based on sound proven economic principles
that supports a strong dollar will create new
jobs. Big Government kills jobs.
My anti-terrorism experience as a former Lt
Colonel and Assistant Director for the Houston
Emergency Center, gives me the in-depth
knowledge needed to combat terrorism. We
need a new strategic plan to protect our port,
critical infrastructure, schools and neighborhoods. We need to improve our early warning
capability, increase the number of Homeland
security exercises and improve our technology.
I will not support any energy tax bill like Cap
and Trade that will hurt our economy, businesses and work force. I will promote alternative energy sources like natural gas, wind,
solar and nuclear. I will promote technologies
that work with fossil fuel engines to produce
fewer emissions. I will promote incentives to
companies that offer flex time and telecommuting.
We should cut taxes, remove regulations that
hurt businesses and reduce the deficit. We
need to provide incentives to businesses to
keep their factories in the U.S. We need to
fight against Anti-Worker bills like Cap and
Tax. We need to renew our commitment to our
Space Program so that future generations can
discover the riches of the universe.
Bomb all source of terrorism if anything
moves after that, then bomb it again. Also
get rid of all Muslims in this country. Just get
them out of here or require them to convert to
Christianity, under our terms. Anyone who
believes there are moderate Muslims is intentionally blinded to the truth.
Every body wants clean air. Does that mean
we have bad air now. I have breathed this air
for all my lift. I’m doing ok. I would support
legislation that dealt with a specific harm in
the air, but no to regulation agency making
law. That is not the right way
In short it takes a combination of freedom,
good judical system & a small low taxing
government. This is stupid, judgies in states
are electied. Judges at federal should be subject to recall. Freedom; people must feel safe
if they are to risk adventure into prosperity
tax, people must be able to keep the harvest
of their efforts
Reform airport TSA security system; replace
them with a private company to insure better
quality. More educated employees, increase
the technical equipment to a higher standard. Increase military personnel at the US
Mexico border withdrawing troops stationed
in NATO. Increase the military budget. Provide Incentives to companies with tax
cuts that takes measures in improving Green
Technology. Expand Nuclear Power, Natural
Gas and Wind technology. I will vote no to cap
and trade because this will move jobs away
from our country.
First I would submit that we freeze spending,
cut taxes on individuals and corporations and
cut capital gains tax. I would also encourage offshore drilling, ANWAR, Florida,
California etc and subsidize research and
development with new refineries.
Eliminate the PC gestures that place us at
risk. Secure all points of entry into the US. Train our security forces in the same manner the IDF is trained. When a flag is raised
as it should have been at Fort Hood and on
Christmas Day, act on it rather than ignore it.
Based on the US Constitution, this is a state
level issue. I do believe that states should
regulate in a manner that would at the very
least eliminate the carcenagens from the emissions. In District there are a higher than average number of cancer cases close to the plants.
The Federal Government should get out of the
way and let the free market take over.
The first step would be to stop the current administration from constantly showing
weakness. Teariest’ seem to feed on weakness. Thereafter I do not think it is a good idea
to abuse US Citizens but protect presumed
rights of terrorist. Profile those who do not
have constitutional rights. React with extreme
prejudice immediately in response to any terrorist act. For (///)
Make reasonable changes to reduce harmful emissions over time. Cap and Trade is
not the answer because it will have no effect
on reducing emissions. Cap and Trace is
Obama’s way of redistributing money. Cap
and Trade is nothing short of theft. I do support the legislation which would regulate the
release of harmful emissions without Cap and
Trade. This (///)
End the current stimulus program. Stop the
nonstop spending of money by the Federal
Government. Cut taxes to individuals and
business so that they can get back to work. End the constant redistribution of wealth. Stop borrowing for China. It is that simple.
(60 word limit)
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DISTRICT 22
I am a retired Lt Colonel with a B.A. (summa
cum laude), a B.S. in Computer Science
and a M.S. from the Air Force Institute of
Technology. I’m certified to manage billion
dollar DoD projects. I am trained in strategic
national planning. I’m also a Harris County
School Trustee.
TOM STEVENS
Finished high school – 4 years in the army.
7 years in a steel mill up north. Move to
Houston. I bought a washateria, got my insurance license an also have a door company for
the last 25 years. This kind of experience qualifies me to be president at least congressman.
DISTRICT 29
ROY MORALES
FRANK 'MAZZ' MAZZAPICA
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
(60 word limit)
BRENDA PAGE
TEX CHRISTOPHER –
Master’s degree in psychology. Ten Year
career in the US Air Force Adjunct professor
for Lamar University. One of the founders of
High Point High School for Harris County
Dept. of Education. Senior pastor of New
Covenant Church. 1300 members, 15 employees, 40 interns and million dollar budget.
ERIC STORY
I meet the Constitutional qualifications. I have
worked in the Oil and Gas Industry since
graduation, working my way from the bottom
up to Divisional Management. I believe the
US Constitution breathes life into our Nation.
I was asked by the citizens to run once again.
GEORGE A. YOUNG
I enlisted in the US Army in 1970. I was
trained to maintain and protect the CH-47
Chinook Helicopter. I was assigned to the 101st
Airborne Division, 159th Aviation Battalion,
Phu Bai, Vietnam. (1971 -1972). Upon my
return I started College. I got my BS in
Political Science at American University, (///)
Candidate replies are published without editing or verification.
Each candidate is solely responsible for the content of the material submitted.
23
GOVERNOR / Republican Party
Four-year term. Must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately preceding the election. Among duties: executes all laws and conducts all business with
other states and the federal government; fills appointive offices; fills vacancies in state or district elected offices by appointment; calls special sessions of the legislature and sets their agenda; approves or disapproves every
bill passed by the legislature. Annual authorized salary: $115,345
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
RICK PERRY –
What policies do you support to create jobs
and assist those who are unemployed?
(75 words)
pressing issues facing Texas during the next
four years and how would you
address them? (75 words)
By growing the government sector, people
will not be able to get on their feet. We need
to limit the size of government, therefore
reducing the tax burden on our small business. When business is allowed to grow, jobs
are created and American ingenuity runs
rampant. Small business breeds jobs and jobs
breed prosperity.
Illegal immigration and the Texas economy.
Securing our borders is an issue that must be
addressed. I will utilize all means necessary
to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration. Regarding the economy, we must
get Washington D.C. out of Texas. Mandates
and regulatory laws are stifling prosperity in
Texas. By exerting our sovereignty and cutting out special interests, Texas can become
more prosperous and our economy can soar.
DEBRA MEDINA
My experience in maintaining a balanced
budget, of ensuring the safety of my family, of
being involved in my community, and working as a nurse have groomed me for the position of governor. I’m not a career politician; I
am a Texan, ready and willing to help Texas.
Mi experiencia en mantener un presupuesto
balanceado, de mantener la seguridad de mi
familia, de estar involucrada con mi comunidad y de mi trabajo como enfermera, me han
preparado para el puesto de gobernador. No
soy un político de carrera. Soy una Texana,
lista y dispuesta para ayudar a Texas.
STATE
What do you see as the state government’s
role in increasing the use of alternative
fuels and energy conservation among
Texas residents? (75 words)
Free markets have proven that capitalism,
when allowed, will seek out and supply the
most ingenious ideas and products. Get the
EPA out of Texas and allow Texans to nourish
energy. Texans are so resourceful; they will
not miss the opportunity to capitalize on alternative fuels and energy conservation. We have
just scratched the surface on wind and solar
energy, without ridiculous mandates, energy
will flourish in Texas.
Los mercados libres han demostrado que
el capitalismo, cuando puede, buscará y
proveerá las ideas y productos más ingeniosos. Saquemos al EPA de Texas y permitamos
que los Texanos suministren energía. Los
Texanos tienen muchos recursos; ellos no
desaprovecharan la oportunidad de capitalizar
en combustibles alternos y conservación de
energía. Apenas hemos abundado en materia
de viento y energía solar y sin disposiciones
ridículas, la energía prosperará en Texas.
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON –
Al permitir que el sector de gobierno siga
creciendo, la gente no podrá seguir adelante. Necesitamos limitar el tamaño de gobierno, por lo tanto, al reducir la carga fiscal en nuestras pequeñas empresas. Cuando
a los negocios se les permite crecer, nuevos empleos son creados y la ingeniosidad
Americana se desenfrena efusivamente. Las
pequeñas empresas generan empleos y los
empleos generan prosperidad.
Inmigración ilegal y la economía de Texas.
La seguridad de nuestras fronteras es un
problema que debe agendarse. Utilizaré todos
los medios necesarios para asegurar nuestras
fronteras y detener la inmigración ilegal. En
relación a la economía, necesitamos sacar a
Washington, D.C. de Texas. Las disposiciones
y regulaciones legales están sofocando la prosperidad en Texas. Al ejercer nuestra soberanía
y al recortar los intereses particulares, Texas
podría prosperar aún más y nuestra economía
podría levantarse.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR / Republican Party
DAVID DEWHURST –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
ATTORNEY GENERAL / Republican Party
GREG ABBOTT –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS / Republican Party
SUSAN COMBS –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE / Republican Party
JERRY PATTERSON –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COMMISSIONER OF THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE / Republican Party
TODD STAPLES –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER / Republican Party
Six-year term (on a three-person commission). Must be a Texas resident and qualified voter, not less than 25 years old, and must have no interest in any railroad. Among duties: regulation of the oil and gas industry,
including drilling production and environmental protection; natural gas utility companies; natural gas and hazardous liquids pipeline safety; surface mining of coal, uranium, and iron ore gravel, including land reclamation;
transportation and storage of liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, and liquefied natural gas; railroad safety; and encourages the use of clean-burning propane and researches new technologies for its use.
Annual authorized salary: $125,000
QUESTIONS TO
What training and experiences qualify you
for this position? (50 word limit)
CANDIDATES:
STATE
DAVID PORTER
As a CPA with over 25 years of experience
in oil and gas tax accounting I have a unique
understanding of what it takes to explore for
energy and bring it to market.
What measures do you support to
assure the safety of people and the
environment when granting permits for
oil and gas drilling in urban and
rural areas? (75 word limit)
How do you propose to balance energy
production with the protection of the
environment and the need for energy
in the future? (75 word limit)
Aside from the issues above, what are
the two most serious and pressing issues
the Railroad Commission will face
during the next six years and how would
you address them? (75 word limit)
For the foreseeable future, the majority of
our energy needs will come from oil and gas.
Texas needs Railroad Commissioners that will
stand up to the national administration that is
trying to destroy the industry through its tax
policy, Cap and Trade and other regulations.
If we want to retain our status as a first world
nation, we need adequate supplies of energy.
Alternative energy is good but is not enough
for the near future.
I have a personal interest in this area since I
now live on a property that has 2 producing
oil wells (in which I own no interest) and a
pipeline running through it. I will strongly
support regulations that protect the life and
safety of the individuals that live near, as
well as those working on drilling, new wells.
I believe we must make these regulations as
cost efficient as possible without reducing
their effectiveness.
The Commission needs to retain the confidence of the people of Texas that it is protecting our natural resources while providing
responsible regulation of oil and gas industry.
The industry needs to have confidence that
the decisions of the Railroad Commission
are based on the merits of the case and not
on politics.
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
24
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
What measures do you support to
assure the safety of people and the
environment when granting permits for
oil and gas drilling in urban and
rural areas? (75 word limit)
How do you propose to balance energy
production with the protection of the
environment and the need for energy
in the future? (75 word limit)
Aside from the issues above, what are
the two most serious and pressing issues
the Railroad Commission will face
during the next six years and how would
you address them? (75 word limit)
Responsible energy production and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.
Texas must produce as many of our own natural resources as possible in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Texas must remain
the premier energy producing state in the
nation, producing more natural gas than any
other country other than the U.S. and Russia
and producing more renewable wind power
than any other state. We must continue to plug
abandoned wells and protect our groundwater.
I support ongoing regulation of gas drilling
and pipeline safety (integrity testing, Call
Before You Dig) rules with more “boots on the
ground” inspectors. While I remain concerned
about potential negative impacts from concentrated urban drilling in the Barnett, I remain
committed to relying on non-biased, sciencebased data analysis to lead us to reasonable,
practical solutions – not reactionary calls for a
year-long drilling moratorium that would be a
drastic overreaction to this issue.
I’ll continue to be a good steward of taxpayers’
dollars and work with the legislature to ensure
we have manpower to do the job and find ways
to tighten our belt just like every Texas family
must do in times of economic uncertainty.
The Railroad Commission is “unquestionably
the worst-named state agency” since we have
nothing to do with railroads. We must change
our name to something that reflects our mission: Texas Energy Commission.
La produccion de energia en una manera
responsable y la proteccion del ambiente no
son mutualmente exclusivas. El estado de
Texas tiene que producir tantos de nuestros
recursos naturales posibles en una manera
segura y en una manera responsalbe al ambiente. Nuestro estado tiene que seguir siendo
el estado principal que produce energia en la
nacion, produciendo mas gas natural que ninguno otro país aparte de los Estados Unidos y
Rusia y produciendo mas energía
Yo apoyo los reglamentos que están en pie
ahora de la perforación para petroleo y para
la seguridad de la líneas de las tuberias
(la integridad de pruebas, “Llame Antes de
Perforár”) reglas con mas inspectores presentes. Mientras sigo interesado del potencial negativo de la concentracion perforacion
(escabar) en el urbano en Barnett (cerca de
Fort Worth), siguo comprometido dependiendo de analisis sin propension, con analisis
de base científica para guiarnos a soluciones
practicas y (///)
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
VICTOR G. CARRILLO
STATE continued
B.S. (Geology), Hardin-Simmons; M.S.
(Geology), Baylor; J.D. (Law) (energy/environmental), University of Houston. Worked
six years as Petroleum Geophysicist for
Amoco (Houston). Texas licensed attorney
& geoscientist. Former attorney for General
Land Office & City of Abilene. Elected:
Abilene City Council; Taylor County Judge;
Commissioner, Texas Railroad Commission.
- Licenciado en Geologia, La Universidad de
Hardin-Simmons, Abilene, TX, 1986
- Maestria en Geologia, La Universidad de
Baylor, Waco, TX, 1988
- Licenciado en Leyes (en energía y el ambiente),
Universidad de Houston, Houston, TX, 1994
Trabajé seis años como Geofisico del Petroleo
(Petroleum Geophysicist) para Amoco
(Houston). Abogado (///)
Yo seguire siendo un buen mayordomo del
dinero de nuestra gente que paga impuestos,
y trabajaré con el cuerpo legislativo para
asegurar que tengamos recursos humanos
para hacer el trabajo y encontrar maneras para
“apretarnos el cinto” igualmente como cada
familia en Texas en tiempos de inseguridad
económica.
La Comision “Railroad” es “Sin cuestion la
agencia con el peor nombre” siendo que no
tenemos nada que ver con los ferrocarriles.
Tenemos que cambiar nuestro nombre (///)
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE / Republican Party
Six-year term. Must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas. Must have been a practicing lawyer or a lawyer and a judge of a court of record for a total of 10 years or more. Serves as
a member of the court of highest appellate jurisdiction in civil matters in the state; has the power to issue writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, and others; presides over proceedings for involuntary retirements or removal
of judges. Annual authorized salary: $152,500 (Chief Justice) $150,000 (Justice)
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
you for this position? (50 word limit)
REBECCA SIMMONS –
What is the effect of the increasing
amount of money required to run for
judicial office? (75 word limit)
Baylor Law graduate. Licensed to practice law
over 31 years. Served over 13 years as Justice
on the (Dallas) Court of Appeals. Written over
1,000 appellate opinions (per Westlaw; over
1,600 per Office of Court Administration).
Served as Regional Director of FTC during
Reagan administration.
DEBRA LEHRMANN
PLACE 3
Will you recuse yourself from cases in
which the participating lawyers, their
firms, or parties to the suit before the
court have contributed substantial
financial support to your election?
Please explain your answer. (75 word limit)
The current system, though not perfect, most
likely provides those combination of results.
Most Texans want to control the state’s power
over their lives by keeping their right to elect
judges. Elections give voters a say in the qualifications and diversity of the bench, and insure
judicial independence from other branches
of government. I will continue to work to
improve the system we have, not do away with
Texans’ constitutional right to elect judges.
The effect is it increases the amount of time
needed to campaign and raise money, and
reduces the number of potential candidates
who can effectively seek office.
“Substantial financial support” is not a welldefined term; promising to recuse based on
that standard would undercut the uniform
application of existing law. I will continue to
follow Texas’ laws and rules relating to the
recusal of judges. I will work to make sure
those laws and rules are clear, understandable,
and maintain the public’s confidence in the
Texas judicial system. I will continue to apply
the law fairly and without bias.
I believe that our current method of electing
judges is more likely to result in a qualified
judiciary than the appointment of judges. Many
of the judicial vacancies in our state are currently filled by appointment, within a system
that provides no transparency whatsoever. A
single phone call by a disgruntled litigant could
sabotage the appointment of a qualified applicant. On the other hand, judicial elections are
determined by large numbers of the electorate.
Because judicial elections are down-ballot
races that generally involve candidates with
little name recognition, they are very expensive. The expense involved in seeking judicial
office deters some qualified candidates from
running for these positions. Moreover, these
elections are sometimes determined by factors
that have nothing to do with qualifications,
such as ability to raise money or ability to selffund a campaign.
Our system of electing judges in Texas
requires candidates seeking judicial office
to raise money to finance their campaigns.
Judicial ethics regulations recognize this, and
therefore allow judges to preside over cases
in which the participants have contributed to
their campaigns. If elected to this position,
I will recuse myself from any case when
required to do so by the Code of Judicial
Conduct or any other rule of law.
Our judicial selection method is the prerogative of the voters and as a judge I serve at their
pleasure. No judicial selection system is perfect, but we have utilized the current system
for over 100 years and are well familiar with
its strengths and weaknesses. I respect the
judgment of the voters that this system works
best for us.
Fundraising for any political campaign is a
challenge. When races become more expensive, fewer people will be willing or able to
run and otherwise qualified candidates will
be excluded. Moreover, the more expensive
the race the greater the potential concern that
political contributions are impacting judicial
decisions. However, when we curtail judicial
campaign fundraising or expenditures, we
decrease the information candidates can disseminate and we make it more difficult for
voters to make informed decisions.
I will follow the same practice that I have consistently utilized as a Justice on the 11th Court
of Appeals. I comply with the voluntary limits
of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act and do
not accept contributions in excess of those
limits. When required by Texas law or to avoid
the appearance of impropriety, I will promptly
recuse myself and will fairly consider any
recusal request if a party is concerned by any
political contribution.
JIM MOSELEY
I have served as a judge in Tarrant County for
over 22 years – almost double the amount of
judicial experience of any other candidate in
this race. The author of two legal treatises and
numerous articles, I have been recognized by
the Texas Bar Foundation for my legal scholarship. I (///)
RICK STRANGE
I graduated with honors from UT School of
Law in 1985. I was in private practice for 20
years, handled complex oil and gas and commercial matters, and became board certified in
oil and gas, and civil trial law. I have served as
an appellate court Justice since 2005.
RICK GREEN –
What method of selection of judges is most
likely to result in a qualified, diverse, and
independent judiciary? (75 word limit)
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 3 CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
25
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
you for this position? (50 word limit)
firms, or parties to the suit before the
court have contributed substantial
financial support to your election?
Please explain your answer. (75 word limit)
Currently in Texas, some judges first reach
the bench by appointment and some by election, but all must stand for election to retain
their seats. For the most part, this has resulted
in a qualified, diverse, and independent judiciary that is accountable to the electorate. But
there’s always room for improvement, and I
am open to alternatives to the current system,
provided they result in a qualified judiciary
that is still accountable to the people.
Because judges are elected, judicial candidates
must raise campaign funds. Rising campaign
costs mean candidates must spend more time
seeking money and less time actually visiting
with voters. Before the Judicial Campaign
Fairness Act, huge, unseemly contributions
tarnished the Supreme Court’s image. The Act
has done much to blunt money’s influence. I’m
interested in further reforms to make contributions more transparent and to give Texans
more faith in the fairness and incorruptibility
of their judiciary.
If elected to the Texas Supreme Court, I will
adhere to the practice I’ve followed in my first
eight years as a judge, which is to voluntarily
recuse myself whenever I worry the perception of the court’s fairness would be at issue.
I’m proud to have consistently received high
marks in bar polls for my fairness and impartiality, and I would do nothing to injure my
hard-won reputation for integrity.
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 3 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
5
PLACE 3 continued
JEFF BROWN
I’ve been a judge eight years—two on the
appellate court, six on a district court. After
graduating law school with honors, I was a
briefing attorney for Greg Abbott on the Texas
Supreme Court. Former Chief Justice Tom
Phillips has endorsed me because of my work
ethic and philosophy.
He sido Juez por ocho anos -- dos en el
tribunal de apelación y seis en tribunal de
distrito. Después de graduarme con honores
en derecho, yo fui abogado para Greg Abbott
en la Corte Suprema de Texas. Tom Phillips
me respalda por mi ética de trabajo y filosofía
juridica.
PAUL GREEN –
Actualmente en Texas, algunos jueces primero llegan al Tribunal por nombramiento y
algunos por elección, pero todos deben presentarse a las elecciones para conservar sus
puestos. En su mayor parte, esto ha dado
lugar a una magistratura calificada, diversa e
independiente que es responsable ante el electorado. Pero siempre hay margen de mejora,
y estoy abierto a las alternativas al sistema
actual, siempre cuando resulten en magistratura cualificada que sigue siendo responsable
ante el publico.
Debido a que son elegidos, los jueces deben
recaudar fondos de campaña. El aumento de
gastos significa que candidatos dedican más
tiempo buscando dinero y menos tiempo al
votante. Antes de ciertas reformas, las contribuciones empañaron la imagen de la Corte. La
Ley ha hecho mucho para paliar la influencia
del dinero. Estoy interesado en reformas que
resulten en contribuciones más transparentes
y en más fe en la imparcialidad y la incorruptibilidad de los jueces.
Si soy elegido a la Corte Suprema de Texas,
voy a seguir con la práctica que he seguido en
mis primeros ocho años como juez, que es voluntariamente negarme a oir un caso cuando
me preocupa la percepción de la imparcialidad
de la corte. Estoy orgulloso de haber recibido
altas calificaciones en encuestas de la barra de
abogados por mi rectitud y imparcialidad, y yo
no haría nada para perjudicar mi reputación
de integridad.
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 5
ROSE VELA
As an attorney I was a full time appellate
practitioner for ten years. I was then elected
to the state trial bench where I presided over
thousands of complex civil, criminal (including capital murder) and family law matters
for eight years. Currently, I am an appellate
justice on the Thirteenth (///)
While not a perfect system, the election of
judges is the only way individuals in our society have a say in who presides over cases in
their community. Allowing a single person the
power to appoint judges creates the appearance of impropriety and impression that the
judge will be beholden to those in power.
The increasing amount of money required to
fun for judicial office creates the appearance
that those who have given to a particular
judge’s campaign will receive favorable rulings in that judge’s court. This appearance
damages the credibility of the judicial system.
Unless the Legislature adopts a system whereby public funds are available to finance judicial elections, we must rely on a judge’s honesty and integrity in avoiding any appearance
of impropriety.
PLACE 9
EVA GUZMAN
2-6
JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS / Republican Party
LAWRENCE “LARRY” MEYERS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE
CHERYL JOHNSON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE 5
MICHAEL E. KEASLER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUDGE, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, PLACE 6
7 - 17
STATE SENATOR / Republican Party
26
DAN PATRICK – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 7
MICHAEL MAULDIN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT
BILL WALKER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 15
JOAN HUFFMAN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 17
13
2
STATE REPRESENTATIVE / Republican Party
Member of the House of Representatives must be 21 years of age and a legal resident of the state for at least two years and resident of the district from which they are elected at least one year. All bills for revenue and
appropriation of funds for operation of state government originate in the House. Members’ duties include initiation of proposals for constitutional amendments, serving as an advocate for citizens in their home district
and bringing any charges of impeachment for trial in the Senate. They are elected for a two-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
126
CANDIDATES:
your occupation, and the training and
PATRICIA HARLESS –
I have a B.A. in Government, an MD, and an
MDA. I have 20 years in experience for legislative advocacy on medical and healthcare
issues.
MARTIN BASALDUA
127
I’m a family physician, business owner,
and co-founder and former chief of staff
of Kingwood Medical Center. Appointed
Vice-Chair of the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board by Gov. Bush, to the Joint
Committee for Higher Education by Gov.
Perry, and elected to the North Montgomery
Community College District Board.
DAN HUBERTY
I have my BBA from Cleveland State
University and an MBA from the University
of Phoenix. I am a VP at Clean Energy, and
have had a 20 year career as an executive in
business. I am the President of Humble ISD
and serve on several local associations and
charities.
ADDIE WISEMAN
128
Wiseman served a majority of District 127
as their Houston City Council Member, 3
full terms. Wiseman holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Economics and Political
Science from the University of Houston. Professionally, Wiseman, a state licensed residential and commercial real estate agent, and
member: Houston Association of Realtors, (///)
WAYNE SMITH –
JOHN E. DAVIS –
130-133
129
The state should reduce the tax burden on
small business if we want to stimulate growth.
That means overhauling the margins tax for
small business and cutting property taxes.
The two issues that require our attention are
property taxes and border security. We have
to reduce the burden on homeowners in our
state, and it is absolutely necessary to protect
our border if the federal government will not.
The best method of taxation is to replace all
state taxes with a consumption tax. Agencies
should be required to annually start with a
base funding level of $0 and justify any funding they wish to receive. We must also ensure
that funds are used as intended. This means
ending practices such as siphoning highway
funds for other uses.
In order to stimulate job growth, the government must establish a feeling of confidence
within the business community. This includes
creating a predictable and commonsense
regulatory and tax policy that encourages
investment in business and does not penalize
success. We must abolish the margins tax and
ensure that any new healthcare plan does not
unfairly penalize employers.
Many of our problems in Texas stem from
illegal immigration. It burdens the state and
the taxpayers, costing us billions in unpaid
healthcare bills annually. We must also ensure
that Texas is the best state in which to do business. Lower taxes and less regulation will
result in higher employment and more people
able to afford the healthcare they need.
The business margins tax was a bad idea from
the outset, the property tax system is broken,
and the public education finance system is
fatally flawed. The labyrinth of dedicated
funds and diversion of taxes and fees make
matters worse. We should consider a consumption tax as a way to broadly and more
fairly distribute the tax burden.
By limiting business taxes and regulation,
we can create jobs, lower the long-term cost
of energy and improve the environment by
focusing on utilizing Texas’ own oil and gas
resources, thereby enhancing national security by reducing our dependence on foreign
supplies. We have undeveloped natural gas
deposits that can deliver clean, affordable and
reliable energy to the nation.
Education is our future. We must find a viable long-term solution to funding our public
schools. The solution must eliminate unfunded mandates and strengthen local control. The
costs of illegal immigrants are bankrupting
state and local governments. In addition to
border enforcement, reforms must include
strict anti-sanctuary city policies, and laws to
sanction employers that knowingly hire illegal
immigrants.
Wiseman understands that wasteful spending
patterns must be eliminated so that projects
of immediate need are addressed and receive
first priority. And at all times during our
infrastructure advances, the property rights of
Texans must be valued and respected.
As she did on Houston City Council, Addie
Wiseman will fight for the taxpayer – always
demanding openness, fiscal restraint and
working toward a smarter, more efficient
government by focusing on 3 Rs: Reduce the
burden on property owners, Rein in spending,
and Respect our rights.
Wiseman recognizes that state government
can and must do a better job in helping lower
the property tax burden so that Texans can
rightfully keep more of their hard-earned
money. Wiseman will fight to eliminate
wasteful spending and ensure that state spending becomes more transparent so that her
constituents can see how there tax dollars are
being spent.
I believe that the best way for government
to stimulate job growth is to get out of the
way. The state must be diligent in protecting
State Sovereignty by nullifying over-reaching
Federal regulations and by reducing the taxes
on businesses and property owners. These
measures will allow businesses to expand and
increase employment.
Texas must secure our southern border. We
must increase Border agents with the authority
necessary to detain and deport those crossing into Texas illegally. We must have an
accounting of the costs to citizens. Texas
Legislators must assert the 10th Amendment
and protect our State Sovereignty. A union of
strong states will reverse the usurpation of the
Federal Government.
Successful economic growth comes only from
private individuals. The most effective way to
create jobs is to reduce government spending
and its involvement in the private sector.
The state needs to continue to maintain high
expectations in education, especially among
the most economically disadvantaged and special learners, to insure that our citizens have
the skills necessary to succeed. Recent reforms
need to be continued and innovative teaching
should be encouraged. We also need to implement free market reforms to our health insurance law similar to those suggested (///).
Reducing taxes will help stimulate job growth
in Texas. By lessening the tax burden on
small businesses we can attract new businesses to Texas, thus creating new jobs, additional
tax revenue and strengthen the State’s economic stability. While temporary exemptions
to the business-margins tax have been made,
long term solutions still need to be addressed.
Cut government spending: We must audit the
state budget, cut wasteful programs which
drain tax dollars, and work to return hard
earned tax dollars back to the tax payer. Stimulate the economy: As we face these
tough economic times we must work to attract
businesses to Texas so that job growth can be
created. NO RESPONSE RECEIVED
I have 25+ years as a Grants Administrator
at 3 major universities. I have the wisdom of
raising a family which includes the public education system, medical issues, tax burdens, and
home ownership. I understand what common,
everyday Americans deal with as they struggle
to meet personal budgets and responsibilities.
I will investigate ways to relieve the burdens
of property and small business owners for
financing State Government. A consumptionbased tax would lessen the burden on a few to
support State Infrastructure and Programs. I
support reform whereas every Texan shares
the burden proportionately. Only when all feel
the weight can they then judge the need.
ALLEN FLETCHER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 130
BILL CALLEGARI – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 132
JIM MURPHY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 133
The last thing that Texas needs is more govBONNIE PARKER
ernment and higher taxes. The Legislature
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
134
The current tax policy is sufficient. We must
look at cutting waste and inefficient programs
rather than raising taxes and fees.
(60 word limit)
RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 128
MARY HULS
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
SUSAN CURLING
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
I am a lifelong Republican and a graduate for
the University of Houston (BA). I proudly
taught in public and private schools for 26
years and founded a nonprofit dedicated to
supporting economic development in Uganda.
I served on the recycling committee of the
City of Bellaire. I am pro-life.
needs to focus on the essential function of the
state (safety, infrastructure and education).
The private market is responsible for our
prosperity and opportunity. The state needs to
do less so individuals have more opportunity
to thrive.
SARAH DAVIS
Fiscal responsibility and transparency need
to be at the forefront of state spending. We
need to ensure that tax dollars are being spent
wisely and that funds raised through specific
taxes are being used for there declared purposes. Wasteful spending patterns need to be
eliminated to ensure that projects with immediate needs are addressed and receive priority.
I hold a BA in Economics from Baylor
University, and a JD from University of
Houston Law Center. I am partner at Lewis,
Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP, and have
extensive experience defending businesses
and individuals against plaintiff’s personal
injury suits. I believe in limited government
and the free market.
27
STATE REPRESENTATIVE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
135 - 144
CANDIDATES:
your occupation, and the training and
148
I graduated from the University of Texas with
a BBA in May of 1974. I have been a practicing CPA for 35 years. I believe that my experience as a CPA and working with businessmen
in Texas will help create a business environment in Texas second to none for the purpose
of attracting new business and jobs.
FERNANDO HERRERA
I’m a Deputy Chief in the Houston Fire
Department (29 years), and have a degree
in Fire Science. As a former small business
owner I employed 14 Houstonians for 14
years. My experience in both private industry
and local government provide a unique perspective to decision making.
JACK O'CONNOR
I attended Santa Monica College and Queens
College, City University of New York (History
and Economics BA Program). I am a business
consultant and have spent my entire adult life
in the business world, creating jobs, balancing
budgets and managing people. Learn more at
www.TakeBack149.com.
BRYAN LE
149
I will not increase taxes. More than likely I
would try to reduce taxes and limit the ability
to raise taxes more than a set or reasonable
rate similar the cost of living index. Reduced
taxes on the economy should be a stimulant to
business thereby increasing the state revenue
collected.
The most important agenda is to eliminate
the new franchise tax on businesses, which is
effectively an income tax. Texas should be the
number one state for having the lowest taxes
for business. More business would relocate to
Texas plus the savings to business would make
Texas the state with the lowest unemployment.
Also creating jobs reduces the cost of (///).
As mentioned in my answers to the previous
questions, reducing taxes especially the new
franchise tax and creating jobs. My other
issue is to address the insurance industry as it
affects the homeowner. This is two sided as I
want to correct the flaws in the warranties that
home builders give to home owners. Builders
should be required to carry (///).
As of this writing, reduced tax receipts exist,
but before raising taxes I recommend investigating current programs, projects, and
departments to ensure operational efficiency
and determine whether or not the original
objectives are being achieved and netting the
desired results.
State government should consider tax breaks
for “Micro Businesses”. Micro Businesses
would include those that have a gross income
of less than $80,000. This philosophy believes
it is far better to have Texans providing for
themselves versus relying on the State for
support.
A priority issue will be property tax reform-not simply a tax cap or maximum rate of
rise. I believe homeowners should eventually own their home versus “perpetually rent
it”—property tax. A second issue is to ensure
fiscal responsibility prior to simply refunding
existing programs and/or departments.
The current tax policy is sufficient. What our
state government needs is to practice fiscal
accountability and we need to move to a practice of zero-based budgeting, this way each
and every state expense is accounted for and
justified. Learn more about these practices at
www.TakeBack149.com.
Texas must keep its High Tech leadership and
bring back heavy and light manufacturing. We should reduce the red tape and regulations
that slow down business openings and relocations. We should increase the small business
tax exemption. We should also eliminate the
business franchise tax. I understand and support these measures.
Jobs and Tax Relief. I have spent most of my
adult life creating jobs and other opportunities. The Government does not create enterprise and business expansion, the private sector does. By providing tax relief, we empower
people to live freely and live the American
dream. Again, you can learn more about me
at www.TakeBack149.com.
Yes, I believe our current taxation is adequate
to fund those programs mentioned above! In
addition, I will look into reduce or cut off
those programs that yield ineffective. I will
work to reduce state budget deficit and find
ways to create tax cut incentive to small businesses and possibly freeze or rebate property
taxes for lower income families!
To stimulate job growth I will design a tax cut
program to encourage businesses to hire more
people. In a long term plan, state government
may sponsor bond issues to provide low interest loans to businesses that have employment
growth potential, and give special attention to
those in clean tech manufacturing, servicing
to the Veterans, and housing sector!
I will focus on education programs that reward
quality teachers and prevent student dropout
and job training for high school dropouts.
Secondly, I believe we need safer southern
borders and strictly enforcing laws on illegal
aliens, no social assistance program to them,
and no legalization to illegal aliens and their
children.
It has to be for now. We must not increase
budgets and raise taxes. People need what they
make to meet the needs of their families. The
state should stay within the bounds of their
budgets, also. Any additional taxes should
come from User Taxes.
By keeping taxes low people will be better
able to meet their budgets and businesses will
be able to create more jobs. Texas must keep
its budget balanced and spending low. This
is not the time for new government programs
that have to be funded and maintained.
Education: Upon graduation, students must
be prepared for the world of work, vocational
training or college. We need an educated, well
prepared work force to support our economy. Texas Economy: Our economy is equipped
to survive this time of economic stress.
Responsible spending, low taxes, a balanced
budget and a business friendly environment
will keep Texas strong.
(60 word limit)
GARY ELKINS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 135
BEVERLY WOOLLEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 136
SYLVIA SPIVEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 137
DWAYNE BOHAC – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 138
MICHAEL BUNCH – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 141
GILBERT PENA – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 143
KEN LEGLER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT 144
HOWARD H. GANO JR.
I graduated with BA in Political Science from
University of Texas at Dallas in December
2009. I have been involved with school sponsored programs to DC to observe and participate in political forums.
DIANNE WILLIAMS
M. Ed. Texas A&M, 1974/ B.S. U of H, 1969
Retired Educator of 31 years including teaching, counseling, meeting facilitation, creating and delivering in-services, consulting.
Trained mediator for community, family and
Child Protective Services
150
DEBBIE RIDDLE –
COURT OF APPEALS / Republican Party
Six-year term. Must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas. Must have been a practicing lawyer or a lawyer and a judge of a court of record for at total of 10 years or more. Among
duties shared with other judges: serves as a member of the court of highest appellate jurisdiction in criminal matters in the state; has the power to issue writs of habeas corpus and others. Annual authorized salary:
$152,500 (Presiding Justice) $150,000 (Justice)
CHIEF JUSTICE, 1ST COURT OF APPEALS
SHERRY RADACK –
28
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CHIEF JUSTICE, 1 st COURT OF APPEALS
COURT OF APPEALS continued / Republican Party
1ST COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
PLACE 4
DON SELF –
Justice, First Court of Appeals 2002-present;
400+ civil, criminal, family, probate opinions;
14 years experience complex civil litigation as
Special Assistant Attorney General, litigation
partner, associate; UH Law Center ‘87 cum
laude; Chief Articles Editor, Law Review;
strong commitment to state and local legal
organizations, community organizations, continuing legal education.
GAEL HARRISON
My twenty years as a lawyer have been
devoted to appeals. I have handled over 200
appellate cases and am board certified in civil
appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal
Specialization. I offer big-city, big-case experience, but I live in the country and work for
small-town people, too.
PLACE 8
firms, or parties to the suit before the court
have contributed substantial financial
support to your election? Please
explain your answer (75 word limit)
Appointment of district judges in largest
counties and of justices of intermediate courts
of appeals, Texas Supreme Court, and Court
of Criminal Appeals, with a check on the
appointment process, e g., appoint/elect/retain
or appoint/approval by senate/retain. Such a
system would ensure the quality of judicial
candidates while providing for the people’s
initial approval of judicial appointments and
of judges’ ongoing performance.
It can entice special interests to provide substantial backing to advance candidates they
believe will support their agenda on the bench.
Campaign fairness rules are an antidote to
undue influence, but in large voting districts,
where the candidates for judicial office and
their qualifications are generally unknown,
the ability of special interests to influence
election outcomes is enhanced.
No. All contributions received by my campaign are subject to Texas Ethics Commission
guidelines and are reported to the Texas Ethics
Commission. My support comes from a wide
variety of firms and individuals.
The system we use. It is the only system that
achieves the diversity in philosophy, race,
experience, and expertise that we have in the
Texas judiciary. In any other system, only the
rich and powerful get to choose who decides
the cases of ordinary people. People are smart
enough to decide for themselves, and they
should have a chance to do so.
Whenever vast amounts of money are required
for a victory in politics, those who lack wealth
and power face an uphill battle in any political
race. Judicial races are no exception.
Yes. I will recuse myself from the cases in
which the participating lawyers, their firms,
or parties to the suit before the court have
contributed $1,000 or more to my campaign.
I have already received such donations, and
the donors are aware of my policy. They
understand that I will follow this policy, as
long as the law and the chief of my court allow
me to do so.
EVELYN KEYES
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Mis veinte años como abogado se ha dedicado
a las apelaciones. He manejado más de 200
casos de apelación y estoy certificado en el
derecho de apelación civil por el Consejo de
Especialización Legal de Texas. Ofrezco un
rango de experiencia desde la gran ciudad
“Big City” hasta el pueblo (///)
MICHAEL MASSENGALE
I am the current judge in this position. I’m a
former Baker Botts partner and for two years
I worked at federal Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals. I graduated from UT Law School
with honors, and I’ve frequently presented and
organized continuing legal education. I am an
Eagle Scout.
El sistema que utilizamos. Es el único sistema
que logra la diversidad en la filosofía, la raza,
la experiencia y conocimientos que tenemos
en el sistema judicial de Texas. En cualquier otro sistema, sólo los ricos y poderosos
pueden escoger el que decide los casos de la
gente común. La gente es lo suficientemente
inteligente para decidir por sí mismos, y deben
tener la oportunidad de hacerlo.
The governor is best situated to appoint qualified, diverse, and independent judges. The
governor is responsible for many types of
appointments, and has capable staff dedicated
to inviting applications from qualified candidates, interviewing those candidates and
researching their backgrounds, and soliciting
community input about the appropriate choice.
The sheer number of judicial races makes it
difficult for voters to obtain that same level of
information about the various candidates and
their qualifications and independence.
Cada vez que grandes cantidades de dinero
son necesarios para una victoria en la política,
los que faltan de la riqueza y el poder encuentran una batalla cuesta arriba en una carrera política. Las carreras judicial no son la
excepción.
The money required for a judicial election
campaign is an unfortunate side effect of our
system of contested races for judicial office.
The needs for fundraising and campaigning
threaten to distract officeholders from focusing their efforts on performing their jobs.
Another unfortunate factor is the negative
appearance possibly resulting from the fact
that lawyers and litigants appearing frequently
in the courts may be the parties with the
greatest interest in contributing to judicial
campaigns.
Sí. Voy a removerme a los casos en que los abogados que participan, a su empresa, o partes de
la demanda ante el Tribunal de Justicia han contribuido $1,000 o más para mi campaña. Ya he
recibido este tipo de donaciones, y los donantes
son conscientes de mi política. Ellos entienden
que voy a seguir esta política, mientras la ley y
el jefe de mi corte me permite hacerlo.
My decisions as a judge will never be influenced by campaign contributions, or the fact
that a person may not have contributed to
my campaign. I carefully follow all Texas
laws governing disqualification and recusal of judges. I also voluntarily comply with
the fundraising limitations of the Judicial
Campaign Fairness Act. These safeguards
ensure that no lawyer, firm, or litigant contributes so significantly as to require my recusal
or create appearances of impropriety.
14TH COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE
SHARON MCCALLY
PLACE 2
I am a forty-nine year old wife; mother; and
Harris County judge. A judge for five years, I
deliver balanced justice and tangible, taxpayer
savings. After twenty years in law (state; federal; trials; appeals; civil; criminal) and seven
years in business (construction), I have the
best skills for this job.
Tengo cuarenta y nueve años; soy casada y
tengo una hija. Me desempeño como jueza
del Condado de Harris desde hace cinco
años, impartiendo una justicia equilibrada y
tangible y asegurando el ahorro de los contribuyentes. Con veinte años en la práctica del
derecho (estatal; federal; juicios ordinarios;
apelaciones en los fueros civil y penal) y siete
años en la industria de la construcción, me
encuentro en las mejores condiciones para
ocupar el cargo.
LESLIE BROCK YATES
5-9
I was elected to the Fourteenth Court of
Appeals in 1994. I have authored over 1,000
opinions and participated in more than
6,000 cases. Prior to being elected, I was an
Assistant District Attorney where I handled
both trials and appeals. I was also an attorney
with Union Pacific Railroad.
Non-partisan, merit-retention elections might
be effective to achieve judges of qualification, independence, and diversity, but only
if coupled with non-partisan, pool-funded,
public education about candidates. The partisan elections we have will never guarantee
a qualified or independent judiciary, though
diversity may result. The federal appointment
system is not likely to sponsor diversity. More
important, neither system is designed to foster
both (a) public confidence in impartiality and
(b) accountability.
Realizar elecciones sin sesgos partidarios de
las que surjan contrataciones basadas en los
méritos de cada candidato podría resultar
eficaz para hallar jueces con antecedentes,
independencia y diversidad, pero ello sólo
funcionaría si se implementara alguna forma
de información sobre los candidatos independientemente de los partidos políticos y mediante fondos no condicionantes. Las elecciones
partidarias que tenemos nunca garantizarán
un sistema judicial independiente y calificado,
aun si la diversidad pudiera estar asegurada.
El sistema federal (///)
I do not like the current system of electing
judges in partisan elections. Too many good
judges have been lost in partisan sweeps.
However it is not the role of a judge to make
new law. I hope the voters will encourage the
legislature to devise a system that keeps good
judges and allows for removal of bad ones.
The ultimate effect of expensive judicial campaigns is a further erosion of public trust in
the judiciary because the practical effect is
that those campaign dollars are derived from
the lawyers who practice in those courts. As
outlined in response to Question 2, until judicial campaigns are equally funded through a
non-partisan pool of funds, citizens appearing
in those courts unfortunately, but reasonably,
worry about the judge’s politics and funding.
El efecto último de las onerosas campañas
judiciales es una mayor erosión de la confianza pública en el sistema judicial porque el
efecto práctico es que esos dólares usados
para la campaña provienen de los propios
jueces que litigan en esas cortes. Tal como
se afirma en la respuesta a la Pregunta 2,
hasta que las campañas judiciales reciban una
misma cantidad de dinero a través de fondos
recolectados sin conexión partidaria, los ciudadanos que (///)
During my tenure as an attorney and as an
appellate court justice, I have not been aware
of any instance in which contributions to judicial campaigns have influenced decision making; but I am aware of the potential perception
of influence by the public. Such perception
weakens the respect for the judiciary and, ultimately, for the rule of law. As a result, I limit
the size and amount of contributions I receive.
Yes, I will recuse myself from cases in which
the participating lawyers, their firms, or parties to the suit before the Court have contributed substantial and disproportionate support to my election campaign because it is
constitutionally required by the United States
Supreme Court. I will also recuse myself in
strict compliance with the broader standards
of Texas law, while upholding and supporting
each citizen’s Constitutional right to participate in the electorate process without penalty.
Sí, yo me excusaré en los casos en que que los
abogados participantes, los estudios jurídicos
a los que pertenecen o las partes del juicio
en trámite ante la Corte hayan realizado un
aporte financiero sustancial y desproporcionado para apoyar la campaña para mi elección, tal como lo requiere constitucionalmente
la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos. También
me excusaré en estricto cumplimiento de las
normas más amplias de la legislación de Texas
al mismo tiempo (///)
Judges are called upon to put aside their
personal biases and make decisions based
upon the law, not prejudice and favoritism.
Judges have a variety of associations with
a great many lawyers who practice before
them. Judges need not concern themselves
with whether they rule in favor of, or against,
any lawyer – only whether the ruling is firmly
grounded in the law and legal precedent.
MARTHA HILL JAMISON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 5 (UNEXPIRED TERM)
TRACY ELIZABETH CHRISTOPHER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR JUSTICE, 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 9
29
DISTRICT JUDGE / Republican Party
District Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction. Twenty-two criminal courts have jurisdiction over felonies punishable by death or by incarceration in state prison or death, and over misdemeanors involving
official conduct. An additional three courts deal exclusively with juveniles accused of crimes. Twenty-five civil courts have jurisdiction over civil actions, which include disputes over personal or real property, civil rights,
contractual matters or other business dealings, and personal injuries. In addition, there are nine specialized civil courts dedicated solely to family matters such as divorce and child custody. 4-year term.
55th –157th
JEFF SHADWICK – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 55 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JOHN DONOVAN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 113 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
RANDY WILSON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 157 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
DANNY DEXTER
Graduate, St. Thomas High School; University
of Texas, Undergraduate degree, Business
Management and Master’s in Professional
Accounting; Graduate, South Texas College
of Law; Successful private sector career;
Extensive felony and misdemeanor trial work
as local prosecutor; Runs a private law practice; Has done defense work in federal whitecollar cases.
180th
EMILY MUNOZ
I have dedicated my entire career to criminal justice. I earned my law degree from St.
Mary’s University. I am a former Briefing
Attorney for the Texas Court of Criminal
Appeals, a former Harris County prosecutor,
and am now in private practice. I am Board
Certified in Criminal Law.
MARC BROWN
182nd - 270th
J. D. University of Houston, 1980. B. A.
University of Texas, 1984: 22 year career
prosecutor Harris County District Attorney’s
Office; Division Chief, Harris County District
Attorney’s Office;Over 100 Felony Jury trials;
Past Instructor Texas Center for the Judiciary;
2003 TNOA Texas Prosecutor of the Year.
30
Making sure that with the volume of cases
handled by district courts that everyone –
crime victims and defendants – get their say
and that the law is followed and the community is safe. Our taxpayer-supported courts
must also run efficiently.
The people are the best check on an independent judiciary. They have that power in Texas
and it should never be taken from them.
Attorneys wishing to represent the indigent
will be selected based on qualifications, standards and work ethic. There can be no shortcuts in making sure the poor get a quality
defense when they stand accused. Our entire
system breaks down when that rule is not
observed.
It is important that our Courts are equipped
to deal with people with mental illness and
look for ways to link offenders with mental
illness to community-based services to break
their continued cycling through the criminal
justice, mental health, and substance abuse
treatment systems and to reduce the number
of people with mental illness in jails.
Partisan primaries, as we have now, are the
best way for selecting our judiciary. It allows
primary voters the opportunity to select a
candidate based on their values.
I would continue to use the Harris County
indigent defense plan and choose an attorney
from the graduated lists of qualified attorneys
for assignment. Our current system of selecting attorneys assures that a qualified attorney is appointed and takes into account the
individual qualifications of the attorney with
respect to the nature of the case.
The backlog of “In-Custody” cases is the biggest issue facing all of our criminal courts. I would work to fast track the “in-custody”
cases to more quickly dispose of those cases. This would help alleviate jail overcrowding
and ultimately save taxpayers money.
I believe that the election of Judges best
insures an independent judiciary. I believe
that the people should be able to choose
their Judges. I do wish the judicial races
attracted more attention so voters would be
more informed.
I would use the “Wheel” system that is currently in place in the majority of the Harris
County courts. This system allows for the
appointment of attorneys for indigent defendants from a large pool of highly qualified
professionals.
(60 word limit)
(60 word limit)
JEANNINE BARR – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 182nd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
VANESSA VELASQUEZ – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 183rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JAN KROCKER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 184th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
SUSAN BROWN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 185th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
BILL BURKE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 189th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
PATRICIA J. KERRIGAN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 190th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
DENISE COLLINS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 208th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
MIKE MCSPADDEN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 209th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
MARC CARTER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 228th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
BELINDA HILL – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 230th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
MARY LOU KEEL – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 232nd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
REECE RONDON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 234th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
ROY L. MOORE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 245th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JIM YORK – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 246th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
BONNIE CRANE HELLUMS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 247th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JOAN CAMPBELL – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 248th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JUDY WARNE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 257th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
DENISE BRADLEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 262nd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
JIM WALLACE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 263rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT
DAN HINDE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 269th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
BRENT GAMBLE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 270th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
DISTRICT JUDGE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
280th
ANGELINA GOODEN
With the Harris County Family Courts handling 50,000 cases
in a year, providing timely justice has been a challenge, espe20-year Family Law Practitioner, with BA, MA and JD. cially in domestic violence cases. The new domestic violence
Served as Special Master, Mediator, Amicus, Ad Litem and court was created to provide expedited hearings in family law
Domestic Violence Lecturer. Contract Attorney for Aid To cases involving protective orders. My extensive experience
Victims Of Domestic Abuse for 11 years. I have represented litigating domestic violence cases will ensure this Court’s
hundreds of litigants in domestic violence cases in Harris purpose is achieved.
County Family Courts.
Election of Judges by the general population is the best way to
ensure an independent judiciary. Additionally, Judicial candidates running without party affiliation can refine our current
method of electing judges.
LYNN BRADSHAW-HULL
The 280th is the first domestic violence court in Texas. The
Legislature anticipates 3000+ annual filings. Safeguarding
these emergency proceedings and court administration is
crucial. For 14 years, I presided fairly in disposing of 60,000+
cases, including 500+ jury trials. I served 9 years as administrative judge of the County Civil Courts. I will deliver responsive, consistent and impartial justice.
Texans deserve the right to elect an independent judiciary. Currently, primaries occur three months after the filing
deadline, and general elections are held eight months later. Therefore, Judges spend a full year campaigning. Nevertheless,
most voters don’t know their judges. In order to avoid expensive, unseemly and time consuming campaigns, Judicial elections should be held three months after the primaries.
La Corte 280 es el primer tribunal de violencia doméstica en
Texas. La legislatura anticipa más de 3000 solicitudes anuales. El salvaguardar estos procedimientos de emergencias y la
administración judicial es crucial. Durante 14 años, yo presidí
imparcialmente en la disposición de más de 60,000 casos,
incluyendo más de 500 juicios con jurado. Yo serví 9 años
como juez administrativa de los tribunales civiles del condado. Yo deliberare justicia en una manera sensible, coherente e
imparcial.
Los Tejanos merecen el derecho de elegir a un poder judicial
independiente. En la actualidad, las primarias ocurren tres
meses después de la fecha límite de presentación y las elecciones generales toman lugar ocho meses más tarde. Por lo
tanto, los jueces se pasan un año completo de campaña. Sin
embargo, la mayoría de los votantes no conocen a sus jueces. A fin de evitar campañas costosas, impropias y que consumen
tiempo, las elecciones judiciales deberían celebrarse tres meses
después de las primarias.
I have litigated, trained and presided in domestic violence matters. Throughout 14 years as trial judge, I maintained favorable
judicial service evaluations; received specialist certifications
in Civil Jurisdiction and General Jurisdiction; selected ‘Judge
of the Year’; and received State Bar of Texas Presidential
Commendations for (///). www.judgebradshawhull.com
He litigado, entrenado y presidido en asuntos de violencia
doméstica. A lo largo de 14 años como juez de juicios,
he mantenido evaluaciones del servicio judicial favorables;
recibió certificaciones de especialidad en la Jurisdicción Civil
y Jurisdicción General; he sido seleccionada “Juez del Año;”
y recibió Encomiendas Presidenciales por Liderazgo Judicial
del de la Barra de Abogados del Estado de Tejas (State Bar of
Texas). www.judgebradshawhull.com
281st 295th
SYLVIA MATTHEWS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 281 st JUDICIAL DISTRICT
CAROLINE E. BAKER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED IN 295 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE / Republican Party
These courts in this division handle family matters: adoptions, birth records, child welfare and custody, child support, and marriage annulments and divorce. Judges are elected for four-year terms.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
Family Law Courts are extremely overcrowded with thousands
of filings per month. As Judge, I would implement a 5 to10
minute status hearing on each case prior to lengthy hearings
and trials to set time restrictions and deadlines in the case so
that these cases will not remain on the docket for years without
any activity.
The best method for selecting judges is through an election. Ideally, judges should have their own election cycle separate
from the executive branch and legislative branch elections. Furthermore, judges should run for office on their experience,
qualifications, and belief system; and not on their party affiliation which often results in a lesser qualified candidate being
elected.
The dockets in the family law Courts are voluminous and cases
need to be worked in a manner that will efficiently process
these cases in a timely manner from start to finish.
Judges are elected per the laws of the State of Texas and am in
favor of this process to ensure an independent judiciary.
The most critical administration of justice issue facing the
Family Law courts is the cost of litigation. To help reduce
these costs, all court-appointed amicus attorneys and mediators should be required to charge a reduced rate that is based
not only on the complexity of the legal issues but also the ability of the parties to pay.
For the Texas Supreme Court, the best method of selecting
judges for an independent judiciary is to have them confirmed
by the Senate after they are appointed by the Governor and
then for them to stand for “retention” elections. For the
remaining Texas judgeships, judges should be elected locally
by the people in the districts where the judges preside.
The increase in the number of Family Law and Child Abuse
cases over the past several years. These cases must be heard
Received JD from South Texas College of Law, practicing in a timely and expedient manner. Even though the family
Family Law and Litigation in Harris County for 37 years. I may be separated, the children’s interest must be protected by
have worked for the County Attorney’s Office for seven years, a knowledgeable, informed and objective judge.
and served as Division Chief for Child Protective Division for
three years, overseeing 1,300 cases of child abuse each year.
The present system for the election of judges has worked well
in the past, however; the voters do not know the candidates or
their qualifications. The appointment of judges by governors
or judicial committees would make the process political and
controlled by politicians. Some combination of the above
might be appropriate with a ‘clearing house’ for candidates;
then a general (///).
(50 word limit)
RICK RAMOS
I graduated from TSU Law School in 2000, magna cum
laude. I am a Family Law attorney. I clerked in this Court;
was named Texas Monthly Magazine Super Lawyer; courtappointed by all Family Courts; tried complex property and
custody cases; Family Law Mediator; and taught at National
Trial Institute.
ALICE J. O'NEILL
308th
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
University of St. Thomas, Political Science; Texas A&M
University, Counseling Psychology M.E.d; University of St.
Thomas, MBA; South Texas College of Law, J.D. I was a psychologist for seventeen years prior to law school and am now
going on my seventeenth year as a lawyer/mediator specializing in both civil and (///).
JAMES LOMBARDINO
I received my BBA from UH and law degree from South Texas
College of Law. I have practiced Family Law for the past 25
years. I am a former Assistant District Attorney who has tried
hundreds of cases and been named a top Family Law lawyer
by H Texas Magazine.
WILLIAM 'SUMPTER' FRAZIER
31
FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
(50 word limit)
CANDIDATES:
CLINT LAWSON
The inability of a party to resolve their case in a reasonable
time period erodes the confidence of the public in the judiMy family law practice is focused on clients and mediation. cial system. Scheduling delays often compound the stress of
I hold both MBA and JD degrees. I am Family Law Board a family law proceeding. Given limited judicial resources,
Certified. I am a director of the HBA Family Law Section greater use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods to
and Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists. I am married and a resolve family disputes in an amicable manner will be given
top priority.
stepfather of six children.
I am a strong proponent of the voters choosing their judiciary
and this tradition should be maintained. Improvements in
the present system might include the nonpartisan election of
judges and a prohibition against candidates accepting contributions from attorneys. In this manner, individual perceptions
regarding the impartiality of the judiciary might improve as the
role of politics is lessened.
MECA WALKER
The most critical issue is a high docket load. I preside over
approximately 75 cases every week and we still are not able to
hear all of the cases as quickly as we would like. To address
this issue, I fully support the recent creation of a Domestic
Violence court which now reduces the family court docket.
Some method that did not require judges to raise funds would
probably be the best way to ensure an independent judiciary.
Many contested cases take years to get to trial and have a final
resolution, and many courts make unnecessary appointments
(amicus attorneys, experts, mediators, etc.). These issues
increase the parties’ financial costs by thousands of dollars. I
would run a more efficient court, allow cases to proceed with
fewer delays, and avoid unnecessary appointments.
Elections. The people should select those people they want to
serve as judges, and the people should decide when a judge is
no longer effective and should be replaced. Judges should be
hired and fired directly by the people.
Failure of the Courts to follow the Law and Constitution. I will
strictly construe the law and uphold the Constitution. I will
use my experience to make competent law-based decisions to
protect each person’s rights and liberties that can affect a family for years. I will listen to each person’s story, before making
a decision, to avoid injustice.
Judges should be elected as they are now, by the public. It
allows the voters, not a Governor or President, to hold them
accountable. We have three branches of the government and
each is to act independently of the other. Appointment of
Judges can destroy the check and balance of government that
we currently have in place.
The family is a critical cornerstone of our society. When a
marriage is to be dissolved it is critical to ensure that each and
every party has an opportunity to be heard and have their concerns addressed in a fair and equitable manner. When children
are involved, lives hang in the balance. With overcrowded
courts, time is the limiting factor.
While I see flaws in the current system that allows partisan
sweeps, I trust the voters. Independence is best maintained by
public direct election.
Escalating court dockets due to delays caused by unnecessary
court ordered procedures, resulting in added expense to the
parties. Rendering judgments in a timely, cost efficient manner, protecting the rights and property of the parties. Putting
family and children first. I would remain a strict constructionist, fair and decisive, not legislating from the bench.
Partisan Elections, that are held separately from non-judicial
race elections. The judiciary should be accountable to the public, while affording the public a better vehicle to investigate and
become familiar with the candidates.
Justice requires Judges to be completely fair and unbiased to
all parties and to apply the law; parties given their day in court;
put the children’s best interest first. I pledge to be guided by
the principles of fairness and equal treatment for all.
I still believe that the election process by our citizens is still
the best way to ensure that the judiciary remain balanced and
independent.
In the family courts, having strict constructionist judges with integrity, compassion, and the judicial temperament necessary to deal with issues facing today’s families. Address it by staying educated on dynamics of family and cultural issues, following the law, and giving back
to the community in a way that helps strengthen the family.
Examples at deniseprattforjudge.com
State trial judges should be elected by the people over whom
they preside and by the people who make the laws the judges
are charged with following.
309th
I am one of two judges in the 309th Family District Court. I
was appointed to the bench in 2007 to assist the presiding judge
in hearing a docket which consists of approximately 30 cases
per day. I graduated from Cy-Fair High School, Clark Atlanta
University and Howard University Law School.
DANIEL J. LEMKUIL
I am Board Certified in Family Law, hold an MBA, and have
over 5 years of judicial experience in a family court. I frequently speak at continuing education courses for attorneys
and judges around the state. My practice is primarily family
law, at both the trial and appellate levels.
SHERI Y. DEAN
University of Texas, BBA, 1976; South Texas College of Law,
JD, 1991. I managed my family’s business until 1989. I established a Family Law firm in 1992. I have practiced Family
Law for 18 years, in all nine Harris County Family Courts.
Please See www.Dean4Judge.com .
310th
LISA MILLARD
My experience as judge of this court for over 15 years is clearly
my best qualification. I have presided over more than 20,000
cases in this time. While my education and work experience
helped me, the last 15 years make me uniquely qualified
among the candidate.
KAY POLK –
DONNA DETAMORE
26 years of Judicial experience Special Master/Associate Judge
by appointments. Board Certified Family Law Specialist 26
years. BV rated Martindale-Hubbell. Past President Gulfcoast
Family Law Specialist. Mediator/Attorney. Barrister Family
Inns of Court. Speaker Family Law and Mediation. Cancer
Counselor.
LORRAINE CERVANTES
311th
Practicing attorney for almost 20 years. I have been practicing
Family Law almost exclusively for the last 15 years. Certified
Family Law Mediator; Volunteer team member in the Harris
County’s first Family Intervention Drug Court since inception. Education: Milby High School; University of Houston
(Central); Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
DENISE PRATT
Family law attorney 18 years. Trained by HPD Domestic
Violence Unit, Suicide Hotline, Charter Lakeside Rehab.
Texas Board of Social Worker Examiners. Volunteer for Aid to
Victim’s of Domestic Violence, Women’s Shelters. Foster/kinship parent through CPS. Sponsor parent for boys/girls home.
More at deniseprattforjudge.com.
32
FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE continued / Republican Party
JUDICIAL DISTRICTS 311TH (continued)
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
Giving litigants a hearing as quickly as possible to address
their immediate concerns. This is difficult since there are only
9 family law courts and 1 protective order court to serve all of
Harris County. Since it is expensive to create more courts, I
would utilize more of the civil courts to hear simple matters
that litigants have already settled.
Election by the voters with no candidate having any listed
party affiliation. This would require candidates to rely on
their professional merits and not political associations to get
elected. Likewise, this would require voters to closely study
each candidate. This would prevent the election of judges who
have no experience in the matters their particular courts would
be hearing.
The main issue my clients, particularly men, are concerned
about is fairness. People want to know that they will get a fair
hearing on custody cases regardless of whether they’re mom or
dad. My position has been, and will always be, that decisions
concerning custody issues shall only be made on the facts of
the case.
Judge selection should be nonpartisan. I have looked at several
alternatives and all are fraught with their own unique set of
problems. The most reasonable method seems to be a nonpartisan election. To be elected, a judge would need the support
from both parties.
ANTHONY MAGDALENO
311th continued
I graduated from South Texas College of Law in 1987 and
have been a family law attorney for approximately 22 years. I
have been a substitute Associate Judge in the 311th Court at the
invitation of the retiring incumbent and am appointed by him
to represent children in custody matters.
JOEL A. GRANDSTAFF
312th
B.S. and M.S. from Indiana University, J.D. from University of
Toledo. Board Certified, Family Law. Taught school fourteen
years: elementary, middle and high school. Coached high
school wrestling fourteen years and middle school track four
years. Nineteen years experience as an attorney-mediator.
Served as Amicus and Guardian ad litem.
DAVID FARR –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE IN 312 th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
313th
FRED WILSON
BBA, Texas A&M University, 1989. J.D.,
St. Mary’s University, 1993. I was a Briefing
Attorney the 4th Court of Appeals and then
became an Assistant District Attorney for
Harris County. In the Juvenile Division I
served as a Concurrent Chief. Presently, I am
in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 company.
GLENN DEVLIN
314th 315th
U.S. Air Force, Honorable Discharge 1974.
University of North Dakota, BA Political
Science 1976. South Texas College of Law,
graduated 1980. 30 years experience in juvenile courts. Currently sit as a visiting associate judge in the 313th District Court which has
enabled me to gain judicial experience as well.
For the Juvenile Courts, the integrity of the
system must be clearly visible. The citizens
of Harris County deserve to know that their
Juvenile Courts provide open and fair representation. The Juvenile Courts offer an opportunity to mentor and direct the life of a child
and the 313th District Court demands a judge
who recognizes this responsibility.
Partisan elections obviously inject political
ideology into the selection of judges who are
supposed to follow the law regardless of party
affiliation. An informed electorate, however,
can select a quality judiciary.
I would select attorneys based upon their ability to adequately represent an indigent child
(as this is a juvenile court). I would select
attorneys in a manner independent of party
affiliation and avoiding any conduct that calls
the integrity of the court into question. In
selecting an attorney to represent a child, I
would look for opportunities to create a (///).
Juvenile and cps recidivism. Implementing
programs designed to attack the problem of
recidivism such as my proposed Leadership
Friday Program, expansion of the mentor
program with church and civic organizations
in the community. Also, implementing an
Adopt a Family Program where parents who
find themselves in the cps system are taught
the needed skills to parent, nurture and guide
their (///).
Judges could be appointed, but the Supreme
Court and the Legislatures have not agreed
to this process. Therefore, electing judges is
the system that we have. It would be helpful
to elect judges not by party affiliation but by
qualification.
Those with the most experience together with
the necessary qualifications handling cases
that are in my court will certainly be needed
and sought. A proven track record of defending the client, representing the child (or parents) in cps matters, and adherence to the law
will be evaluated for selection. Acquiring 15
CLE hours annually will be necessary as well.
(60 word limit)
(60 word limit)
JOHN F. PHILLIPS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE IN 314 TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
MICHAEL ‘MIKE’ SCHNEIDER – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR FAMILY DISTRICT JUDGE IN 315 TH JUDICIAL
DISTRICT
COUNTY JUDGE / Republican Party
ED EMMETT –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY JUDGE
1-4
COUNTY COURT AT LAW JUDGE / Republican Party
R. JACK CAGLE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT AT LAW 1
JACQUELINE LUCCI SMITH – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT AT
LINDA STOREY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT AT LAW 3
ROBERTA LLOYD – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT AT LAW 4
LAW 2
33
COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW JUDGE / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
COURT 1
CANDIDATES:
(60 word limit)
Judicial economy. Court appointed defense
lawyers should be better vetted to ensure
Undergraduate science degree (University of we are using skilled lawyers who actively
Florida); law degree (University of Houston). work on their cases and do not draw them
Assistant District Attorney (8 years); pri- out unnecessarily. Prosecutors have a large
vate practice (2 years). Misdemeanor and caseload and tasks frequently fall through the
felony trials, appellate litigation throughout cracks. Judges must actively discuss indiTexas, argued twice before the Texas Supreme vidual cases with both to ensure the justice
Court’s criminal branch, briefed two cases in system is moving smoothly.
the United States Supreme Court.
General election through non-partisan races. We should expect our judges to be impartial
and rule based on a strict interpretation of the
law. The judge’s personal opinions should
not come into play except in the situations
where we grant judges discretion (sentencing
options, etc.). This separates a judicial position from a legislative position.
Harris County already requires lawyers to
pass minimum training in order to accept
court appointments. The training is, however, minimum. Judges must also rely on
an attorney’s reputation in the community
and then continuously critique an attorney’s
performance to ensure they are giving an
accused Constitutionally sound representation. Attorneys must also account for their
services.
PAULA GOODHART
Parties to a criminal matter having to wait
unreasonable amounts of time for a resoluB.A. from U.T. J.D. from U.of H. Practiced tion of the matter. The parties – defendants
criminal law for 16 years – 14 as prosecutor and victims alike should receive justice as
and 2 in private practice Tried over 100 jury efficiently and as swiftly as their case permits. trials Handled thousands of criminal cases This could be accomplished by tighter docket
controls and shorter trial settings.
PaulaGoodhart.com
Judges should be elected by an informed and
educated electorate whose priority it is to elect
the most qualified and fair candidate. Judges
should not be appointed by partisan politicians
except in extenuating circumstances.
I would follow the Fair Defense Act and
appoint only attorneys who have proven trial
courtroom experience and ethical standards
above reproach. I will appoint attorneys who
are committed to protecting their client’s
rights diligently.
MIKE WILKINSON
I favor a so-called Modified Missouri Plan,
with initial appointment of judges, followed
by non-partisan retention elections. It appears
Texas will not be adopting that method any
time soon. At a minimum, I feel we should
unhitch ‘Democrat’ and ‘Republican’ designations in judicial races, or at the very least, permit no straight ticket voting in judicial races.
Only those experienced, tested, and certified
to represent indigent defendants under the current guidelines are appointed. Qualified ongoing ‘contract’ attorneys provide excellent
representation and familiarity with the court
and should be utilized in conjunction with
those appointed on a daily or weekly basis.
2
BILL HARMON –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 2
CARY HART
I graduated from STCL in 1997 and went to
work for the DA’s Office. I spent ten years
as an ADA and left in June 2008, am in private practice and a prosecutor for the City of
Humble. I have tried over fifty jury trials,
from traffic tickets to murders.
JOSEPH LICATA
I received my J.D. from South Texas College of
Law in 1978. I have 31 years dedicated to the
practice of criminal law as a former prosecutor
and defense counsel. I offer exceptional ability
at managing heavy caseloads, skilled interpretation of the law, fluency in Spanish, steadfast
dependability and uncompromising (///).
COURT 3
PEYTON PEEBLES
In this court, with original jurisdiction over
misdemeanor offenses and over 80,000 misdeU.T.: B.B.A.,J.D. Currently, Senior District meanor cases filed annually in Harris County,
Judge, Harris County. 20 years as Criminal budget constraints require a “judicious” utiDistrict Judge. Have presided over felony and lization of resources. Additional emphasis
misdemeanor courts. Founding and Presiding must be placed on drug and alcohol treatment,
Judge, Harris County Drug Court No.1. Tried meaningful community service, and full resmany hundreds of cases. Former 6½ year titution. Trial cases should be disposed of in
prosecutor; 7½ year defense attorney. Fellow: 60 days.
Houston/Texas Bar Foundations.
NATALIE FLEMING
Graduate of the University of St. Thomas (BA,
1985) and South Texas College of Law (JD,
1988). Worked as an assistant Harris County
District Attorney for 5.5 years and have been a
Visiting Judge in the Harris County Criminal
Courts at Law for approximately 15 years.
Fluent in Spanish.
Graduada de la Universidad de Santo Tomás
(BA, 1985), y South Texas College of Law
(JD, 1988). Trabajé como Asistenta de Fiscal
del Condado de Harris por cinco y medio
años y he sido Juez Visitante para las Cortes
Criminales del Condado de Harris por quince
años. Habló Español.
SHAROLYN WOOD
Senior Judge; Mediator; District Judge,1985
to 2008; Municipal Court Judge, 1983-84;
Teaching: law students, judges, court reporters, paralegals, and attorneys; Multiple
Judicial Education Programs, 1985 to 2009. Rice University: Economics, 1970. UT Law
School 1973. Licensed attorney, 1973. Judge,
1985. Full-time working attorney and judge
for 36 years.
34
The ever increasing case load in each court. Appointed or elected, judges should be chosen
As a judge you can make sure both sides are on a non-partisan basis. A combination of the
getting done what needs to be done between two would create an independent judiciary.
settings. When cases begin to lag on the
docket, get them set for trial in a timely manner and get them tried when set as opposed to
resetting them, unless for a legitimate reason.
I would use the Fair Defense Act Management
System to appoint attorneys to indigent defendants. If after selecting an attorney from the
FDAMS to represent indigent defendants I
found they were not competent to represent
defendant or did not act in the best interest
of their client I would not continue to appoint
them in my court.
The critical issue facing our courts is the
heavy caseloads that exist. Years of experience in handling thousands of criminal cases
resulted in my developing an exceptional ability to handle heavy caseloads. I will initiate
administrative guidelines in County Court
No. 3 to manage and expedite the volumes
of cases without sacrificing fairness to all
parties.
Ideally, judges would be elected on a nonpartisan basis. As Texas elects judges on a
partisan basis, it is incumbent on the voters to
examine the qualifications and experience of
candidates. Without exception, a judicial candidate for a criminal bench should have extensive experience in criminal law. Regardless
of party affiliation, inadequate experience
fosters a burden on our judicial system.
The following criteria would have to be met
by any attorney seeking to represent indigent
defendants: 1. have a minimum of 5 years
criminal law experience; 2. have had a minimum of 5 jury trials and 5 bench trials; and
maintain a minimum of 20 hours per year of
C.L.E. in criminal law.
Repeat offenders cause our crime rate to
remain high and slow down the administration
of justice in our courts. More emphasis needs
to be placed upon ensuring that young offenders appreciate the seriousness of the situation
presented to them so that they do not want to
experience it again.
Both the election and appointment method
can result in unqualified judges. However,
at least with an election process, bad judges
can be voted out of office. If we are to do
away with the electoral process for selecting
judges, I feel that an appointment process with
non-partisan retention elections would be an
effective system.
The only effective way to select attorneys for
indigent defendants is based upon qualifications. I will only appoint attorneys that I feel
have the ability to represent indigents competently to make sure their Constitutional rights
to counsel and a fair trial are protected.
Los delincuentes repetidos hacen que nuestro
índice de criménes se mantenga alto y producen una demora en la administracíon de justicia de nuestros tribunales. Es necesario un
mayor énfasis para asegurar que los acusados
puedan apreciar lo serio de su situación para
que ellos no quieran repetir esa experiencia
otra vez.
Eliminating delay--the timely disposition of
all criminal and civil matters coming before
the court at the least expense to the parties. As
a district judge, I created a docket system as
a full-time working judge which reduced the
time to trial from 5+ years to 18 months.
El método de elección y de designación
pueden producir jueces no capacitados. Sin
embargo, al menos en el proceso de elección,
jueces malos podrian ser eliminados de sus
cargos. Si nosotros eliminamos del proceso
electoral la selección de jueces, yo considero
que el proceso de designación de jueces sin
consideración política, resultaría en un sistema más efectivo.
The Texas system of electing of judges to a
term in office can be improved. Legislative
action to remove partisan elections is unlikely. One simple improvement would be to eliminate straight party voting so that voters vote
for each individual judge. This is an improvement we can implement in the current partisan
system.
La única forma efectiva para seleccionar abogados para defender los acusados indigentes
está basada en su capacitación legal y su
experiencia en el proceso criminal. Yo solo
designaré abogados que yo considere tengan
la aptitud de representar aquellos acusados
indigentes competitivamente para asegurar
que sus derechos constitucionales para su protección legal y su derecho para un juicio justo
sean protegidos.
Attorneys appointed by the judge to represent
indigent defendants should be well-prepared
when the case is called to trial. Harris County
has many well-qualified defense attorneys. Rewarding those who are prepared will help
reduce the number of defendants jailed awaiting trial. I do not favor creating another
government bureaucracy to have a public
defender office.
COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW JUDGE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
JACKIE GIFFORD
I have a law degree from South Texas
College of Law and I am licensed in 3 states.
Texas,New York , and New Jersey. I have been
practicing law for over 20 years. I practice
criminal law in court everyday, I know the
courts and the system. I have been (///)
COURT 4
JOHN CLINTON
Thirty years, Houston Police Department;
Twenty-three of those as decorated Detective
Sergeant, Robbery Division; Graduate,
University of Houston, Criminal Justice
degree; Graduate, Thurgood Marshall School
of Law; Runs private law firm; Has helped
prosecutors prepare countless cases; Extensive
trial experience. Worked as special master in
family courts.
JANICE LAW
COURT 5 -12
30 years criminal trial practice. Approximately
16 years as judge. Currently: visiting judge.
Former: Judge, county criminal court;
Associate Judge COH Municipal Court; state
and federal prosecutor; indigent defense;
Assistant COH attorney; staff attorney for
federal judges SD Texas. Authored five books.
Author website www.judgejanicelaw.com
The most critical administration of justice
facing the courts is the young offender and jail
overcrowding. The courts need to have more
rehabilitation programs for these first time
offenders. The programs need to address the
lack of family structure . Jail overcrowding is
the result of the lack of alternative programs
available Most young offenders go to jail. I
would (///)
I believe that both appointing and election of
judges can create problems. I do not know
which is best. I am a native Texan and have
lived where elections determine the judiciary
in Texas. I lived in the east where the judiciary
were appointed. I believe both methods can
create good and bad judges.
I would select attorneys to represent indigent defendants in court by following the
law that has been given to the courts today
which is random selection in most instances.
Where I have the choice I would pick ethical
and knowledgeable attorneys, which I believe
most of the attorneys practicing in the courts
are. Since I work in the courts myself (///)
The most critical issues are the ones our justice system always faces – making sure people
get a fair hearing, that crime victims have a
voice and that our courts enforce the law and
protect families. Judges must also be a stable
force for fairness.
In Texas, we elect judges. That’s the way it
should always be.
Attorneys representing defendants who cannot afford lawyers should be selected with
the same care used by those who have money.
Judges in those cases should take great care
because the taxpayers are paying the bills and
everyone deserves the best representation. All
standards and qualifications should always be
enforced.
The shadowed confluence of campaign contributions to judges from attorneys who practice
in the judge’s court; and judicial appointments
of attorneys for indigent defendants. I endeavor not to accept campaign contributions from
attorneys who do or may practice in my court.
See political website: www.janicelaw4judgecourt4.com
Partisan elections, despite problems.
Appointing judges moves selection further
from public scrutiny. Texas citizens should
continue via elective process, to choose openly which candidates they will invest with judicial power. While electoral choices are sometimes uninformed, the alternative of appointing judges is a secretive, behind-closed -doors
process. www.janicelaw4judgecourt4.com.
Current method random selection from
judge-compiled attorney list. Attorneys must
meet minimum standards. Issue a theme of
my 2006 nonfiction book Yield: A Judge’s
Fir$t-Year Diary. The $ is not a typo. Yield
was a 2007 finalist for Texas Book Award
(then called Violet Crown); Honorable
Mention, national Police-Writer competition.
See www.judgejanicelaw.com
(60 word limit)
MARGARET STEWART HARRIS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT
LARRY STANDLEY – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 6
PAM DERBYSHIRE – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 7
JAY KARAHAN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 8
ANALIA WILKERSON – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 9
SHERMAN A. ROSS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 10
DIANE BULL – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 11
ROBIN BROWN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 12
14-15
COURT 13
DON SMYTH
LAW 5
There are too many cases and too few courts
to handle the increasing caseload with the
Don is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UT/Austin attention such cases deserve. Don would seek
with a BA in Economics and a University of input from all attorneys handling the cases
Texas School of Law JD degree. Don served and the court staff on how to handle the caseas an attorney for TDC for over 3 years and an load more efficiently and effectively while
Assistant District Attorney for over 32 years. achieving the goal of justice for the victim and
the accused. Work harder and smarter.
www.DonSmythForJudge.Com
Don feels the best way to ensure an independent judiciary would be to have judges elected
in non-partisan elections with term limits. This however would require an interested and
independent press and media to inform the
public of the qualifications and competence of
candidates and sitting judges. An interested
and informed electorate is the key to an independent judiciary.
Don would develop a list of qualified attorneys interested in representing indigent defendants. After determining that there is probable cause to continue holding the defendant
for the charged offense, Don would instruct
the court coordinator to appoint an attorney
with sufficient experience from the list on a
rotating basis to handle the case. Thereafter,
Don would only confirm the appointment.
RACHEL ANN PALMER
Our current system of electing judges, though
flawed, is probably the best. In the end, the
justice system belongs to the community.
People must feel they have a stake in how
courthouse business is conducted. The selection of judges must never fall to courthouse
elites. The people must have a voice in the
selection of judges.
They must first meet all state and local standards for indigent defense work. They must
also show the same dedication and zeal as
opposing counsel and – above all else – demonstrate they will defend clients to the best
of their ability. Our system fails when the
accused do not receive the best representation
possible.
Undergraduate
degree,
Government,
University of Texas; Graduate, South Texas
College of Law; Additional legal study,
University of Notre Dame and Leiden
University, Netherlands. Currently, Deputy
Chief, Misdemeanor Division, Harris County
District Attorney’s Office. Supervises prosecutors in all misdemeanor courts. Extensive
felony and misdemeanor trial experience.
Caseloads in misdemeanor courts have
exploded. This calls for an understanding of
current issues facing today’s misdemeanor
system. Judges must address increased caseloads with a mix of fairness, efficiency and
energy. Cases must be managed in a way that
does not delay justice for crime victims or
defendants.
MIKE FIELDS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL COURT AT LAW 14
JEAN SPRADLING HUGHES – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR CRIMINAL
COURT AT LAW 15
Your vote is your voice. Be Heard
35
COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE / Republican Party
This court has jurisdiction over the probation of wills, appointment of guardians, and the settlement partition and distribution of estates. Probate Courts Nos. 3 and 4 share processing of the mental illness dockets with
staff support by Court No. 3. Each judge is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
CHARLES COUSSONS –
COURT NO. 1
LOYD WRIGHT
B.B.A. / M.B.A. University of Texas, J.D. University of
Houston Only candidate with 25+ years experience as a
probate, estate and guardianship attorney. Six years as member and chairman of State Bar Grievance Committee. Only
candidate in the race who has never voted in the Democratic
Primary. Lifelong conservative Republican.
Justice takes too long and is too expensive. Greater use of
Alternative Dispute Resolution would minimize litigation
delays and expense. I also support incentives for plaintiffs not
to bring frivolous lawsuits and for defendants to settle valid
claims. Probate procedures should be streamlined to minimize
expenses in small estates. Incentivize lawyers to provide volunteer services through CLE credits.
MIKE WOOD – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT NO. 2
RORY ROBERT OLSEN – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT NO. 3
CHRISTINE RIDDLE BUTTS – RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COURT
2-4
I support the right of citizens to elect judges. Electing judges
maintains the accountability that does not exist in the federal system. I support removing judicial races from straight
lever party voting so that voters would have to cast votes in
each judicial race. Too often experienced judges are defeated
because of straight lever voters focused on legislative races.
NO. 4
DISTRICT CLERK / Republican Party
Duties include custodial care and safekeeping of all court records for the district courts and county criminal courts and accounting for all money paid in as deposits on civil cases waiting disposition and all
monies awarded to minors in court actions that are paid into the registry of the court. The department accounts for and processes child support payments and also coordinates the jury system for the courts.
The District Clerk is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS
TO
CANDIDATES:
PAUL DWIGHT
COUNTY
BBA Finance/Economics
Independent Insurance Adjuster
For 25 years I made major contributions
to the modernization of the Theater
Industry with AMC Entertainment as
National Training Director, Managing
Director, International Development
Manager. Excelled in leadership, teamwork, and management training and
development at the regional, national,
and international levels.
What are the most critical issues
facing this office? Please discuss.
(60 word limit)
QUESTIONS
TO
CANDIDATES:
Technology Innovations – Technological
capabilities must improve to keep ahead
of population growth. Requires a tech
savvy leader to seek out best solutions
utilizing in-house staff and third party
vendors. Cost Control – Technological
advances deliver savings in payroll,
document storage. Savings from cross
department cooperation by eliminating redundant activities. Jury Duty –
Recognize employers that fully compensate employees for jury duty.
CHRIS DANIEL
As your Proven Elected Conservative,
with a background in Engineering and
Patent Law, educated at the University of
Texas and South Texas College of Law,
I have cut taxes and managed a budget
in excess of $250 Million as an unpaid
elected Trustee for Lone Star College
System.
What are the most critical issues
facing this office? Please discuss.
(60 word limit)
As your District Clerk, I will improve
the online legal filing system to be
compatible with other counties and the
Federal Filing System, improve child
support disbursements by putting the
process online, improve the jury duty
experience by addressing parking and
juror compensation and I will also cut
overall waste. www.ChrisDaniel.org
COUNTY CLERK / Republican Party
This department keeps the public records of the county, including those filed by the general public with the County Clerk and all records of actions of Commissioners Court, the probate courts, the county court and
county civil courts-at-law. The clerk handles all special and general elections called by the county and provides for assignment of voting equipment and supplies to polling places. This office also trains and coordinates
election officials and tabulates election returns. The County Clerk is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
Current reductions in budget will be a challenge. I will
implement technology to increasing efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. We need to drop microfilming and upgrade
our County Courts to a paperless system similar to what the
District Clerk’s Office has done. I will be a watch dog for
the taxpayer, ensuring that every dollar is spent wisely and
conservatively.
I will use creative technology to enhance the training of election workers. I will work with other entities (ISDs, Cities, etc.)
for joint elections. Voters should only have to go to one location to vote on Election Day. I will protect and enhancing the
integrity of our elections and lobby the legislature to require a
picture ID to vote.
This office files thousands of documents per day and must
make them accessible to the public within a few days, as well
I graduated from the University of Houston and began my as maintaining a records library containing millions of records
employment with the Harris County Clerk’s Office. I have dating to 1836. The challenge is to see there is no delay in havserved as Assistant Director and Director of the Information ing recorded documents available to those who access them
and Public Service Department, Director of the Commissioners regularly without any delay, particularly in these (///).
Court Department, Administrator of Courts and Human
Resources, and currently Chief Deputy.
We already have a number of safeguards in place, both statutorily-mandated and policies instituted by the County Clerk, to
protect the security and accuracy of the ballot. I would continue and expand our voter outreach program and work with
our county commissioners to relocate or open additional early
voting locations in underserved areas of the county.
(50 word limit)
COUNTY
STAN STANART
36
I am qualified because I have over 25 Years of Professional
Experience as an Engineer and Technical Manager. Having a
B.S. in Electronics Engineering I have brought technology to
many organizations including Compaq and the International
Space Station. I have the management skills to deliver excellence within a limited budget.
KEVIN MAUZY
COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR (Unexpired Term) / Republican Party
The Tax Assessor-Collector is responsible for collection of property taxes, the hotel-motel tax, and contracts with other taxing jurisdictions to collect their taxes. Other responsibilities include issuing licenses and titles
for motor vehicles, voter registration and mapping of voter precinct boundaries.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
(50 word limit)
DON SUMNERS
A UT Austin accounting graduate, I began my career working
for a big four public accounting firm, and obtained my CPA. I
ended my business career as a small business owner. My public
service began as County Treasurer and I served the last ten
years in Tax Office leadership positions.
COUNTY
LEO VASQUEZ
Yale University, B.A. in Economics; Columbia University
Graduate School of Business, M.B.A. with concentration in
Finance. Over 20 years experience in private sector including
management, operations, mergers & acquisitions, corporate
finance and consulting. Service leading governmental, nonprofit and political boards and organizations. See: www.
LeoVasquezForHarrisCounty.com
Licenciatura en Economía de Yale University; Maestría en
Administración de Empresas de Columbia University con
especialización en finanzas. Más de 20 años de experiencia
en el sector privado con trabajos que incluye: administración,
operaciones, fusiones de empresas, y finanzas consultaría
empresarial. También he prestado mis servicios a oficinas de
gobierno, organizaciones políticas y no lucrativas en las que
he sido parte de su consejo.
The primary challenges of the position begin with providing
good service to Tax Office customers under strict budget
constraints caused by declining tax revenues. The second challenge involves being an effective advocate for the taxpayers
to prevent tax rate increases in these tough economic times.
Following that is keeping pressure on HCAD to make their
appraisal process fair and equal.
The voter registration and provisional voter verification processes, although accomplished with a high degree of accuracy, can always be improved. Insufficient transparency and
accountability caused by occasional timeliness problems and
inadequate real time tracking and reporting played a part in
recent accusations of wrongdoing. Instituting more open voter
registration processes will help dispel such suspicions and
politicizing of the process.
Doing more with less, and doing it better, is the challenge. I am
devoted to limited, smaller government. However, processing needs of the Tax Office grow each year as Harris County
grows. So we must be more efficient and work smarter. The
additional challenge is to watchdog the taxing jurisdictions to
ensure controls are maintained on tax rates.
I will continue to work diligently to heighten awareness of
the process, especially as it relates to registration. We need to
work together to increase participation and fight apathy. We
must maximize technology ensuring accuracy and integrity
of the voter roll and election process. I will work to ensure the
highest ethical standards imbue throughout every level of the
process.
Haciendo mas cosas con menos y haciéndolas mejor es el reto
principal. Soy firme creyente en que el gobierno sea pequeño
y limitado, pero las necesidades le la oficina de impuestos
crece cada año debido al crecimiento del Condado de Harris. Tenemos que ser más eficientes y trabajar más inteligentemente. Otro reto que tenemos es asegurarnos que los controles
establecidos para determinar las tasas de impuestos se llevan
a cabo debidamente
Seguiré trabajando con esmero enfocándome en crear mas
conciencia en el proceso especialmente en el registro de
votantes. Tenemos que trabajar en equipo para incrementar
la participación y tenemos que luchar contra la apatía actual. Tenemos que maximizar la tecnología para asegurar la integridad y la precisión del votante y del proceso electoral. Trabajare
para asegurar que los Trabajare para que en cualquier nivel del
proceso electoral se apliquen los mas altos estándares éticos.
CNTY
COUNTY TREASURER / Republican Party
ORLANDO SANCHEZ –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR HARRIS COUNTY TREASURER
COUNTY SCHOOL TRUSTEE / Republican Party
CNTY
MARVIN MORRIS –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY SCHOOL TRUSTEE, POSITION 1, PRECINCT 2
ANGIE CHESNUT –
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY SCHOOL TRUSTEE, POSITION 2, PRECINCT 4
COUNTY COMMISSIONER / Republican Party
This office is a member of Commissioners Court, which supervises and controls the courthouses and jails. They appoint and employ personnel, fill vacancies in elective and appointive positions, determine county tax rates,
adopt budget, call bond elections, set voting precinct boundaries, let contracts, build and maintain roads, bridges, libraries and parks, and appoint members to numerous boards and commissions. Within each member’s
precinct, a Commissioner is directly responsible for administration, parks, road and bridge programs. This office is elected for a four-year term.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
What is the most critical issue facing
the Justice of the Peace courts and
how would you address it?
(60 word limit)
PRECINCT 2
As a Native Houstonian from Precinct
2, Community Activist, Mother,
Grandmother and Businesswoman, I will
utilize my knowledge gained through
my two Degrees from the University
of Houston in Theatre and Industrial
Studies, along with my lifetime of business expertise and activism to make
Precinct 2 more livable and prosperous.
4
DOROTHY OLMOS
JERRY EVERSOLE –
As your Reagan Conservative Precinct 2
County Commissioner, I will diligently
work to find real life solutions to the
tough issues including Transportation
and METRO, the Redevelopment and
widening of the Port of Houston and other
areas affected by Hurricane Ike, and I will
work especially hard to protect property
owners from Imminent Domain takings. [email protected]
QUESTIONS
TO
CANDIDATES:
JACK MORMAN
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Graduate of Deer Park High. Received
my undergrad and law degree from
Baylor. Upon graduation, I entered into
private practice, practicing in the area of
civil litigation and have been litigating
cases and fighting for clients for seven
years. I currently practice in the firm of
Michael Fleming & Associates.
What is the most critical issue facing
the Justice of the Peace courts and
how would you address it?
(60 word limit)
Taxes. We should fight to reduce
property taxes by demonstrating fiscal responsibility and accountability.
Crime. We need to ensure that our law
enforcement have the necessary resources to effectively and efficiently fight
crime. Infrastructure. We must rearrange spending priorities to ensure that
our highways and roads are sufficiently
improved in order to keep up with a
growing population.
RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 4
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE / Republican Party
4, 2
2, 2
Have jurisdiction over criminal misdemeanor cases punishable by fine only, e.g. assault, bail jumping, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, bad check writing, public intoxication, theft. Hears civil cases involving up to
$10,000. Handles miscellaneous complaints, performs marriages, issues commitment papers for the mentally ill, issues search and arrest warrants. Judges are elected for a four-year term.
PHILLIP WEBB –
TOM LAWRENCE –
37
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE continued / Republican Party
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
JEFF WILLIAMS
PRECINCT 5, PLACE 2
Doctor of Jurisprudence, So. TX College
of Law, 1981. Practicing attorney 28
yrs. Like a Judge, almost daily people
come to me asking for help with legal
problems. I have experience, knowledge
and training to recognize and cut to the
legal issues and make a decision according to the law.
GEORGE HUNTOON
US Marine Corps 1990-1996, Graduate
Texas Tech University, Real Estate
Broker, President of an 865 Home
HOA with a $600,000+ yearly budget,
Vice President of a Municipal Utility
District with direct responsibility for
the management and repayment of over
$13,000,000 in bonds. Strong Charity
and Community Involvement.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
VIRGINIA S. PITTMAN
Swift impartial justice. JP 5 is arguably
the busiest court in Texas, with 100,000
new cases annually. The docket slows if
one without legal training is elected and
learns on the job. Fairness and impartiality are at risk if a new judge rules by
their feelings instead of the Law. This
court must have a legally trained and
experienced Judge.
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
8, 2
I have worked in Judge Yeoman’s Court
for eight years. I have firsthand knowledge of the procedures, policies and laws
in this court. I know what it takes to
make this court better, not only for the
various Harris County Agencies it interacts with, but the community.
He trabajado en el Tribunal del juez
Yeoman durante ocho años. Primera
mano tengo conocimiento de los procedimientos, las políticas y leyes en este
Tribunal. Sé lo que se necesita para
hacer que este Tribunal mejor, no sólo
por los diversos organismos de condado de Harris interactúa con, sino por
la Comunidad.
The massive case load this court endures. Several hour waits in line to speak to a
court clerk. Implement better coordination and communication procedures for
the tax payer when they are dealing
with the court. Accomplished by using
already proven methods that are in use
in other courts and the creation of new
methods and procedures.
Expedite the process of court so that the
public is not in the building too long. Multi-cultural staff to be more useful to
the diverse community. Dockets need
to be revamped; speedy trials are a right
to the citizens, not waiting for over a
year to resolve your issues. Ensure we
continue to serve the public with respect
and integrity.
Acelerar el proceso de corte para que el
público no está en el edificio demasiado largo. Personal multicultural para
ser más útil a la comunidad diversa. Dockets necesita ser renovado; ensayos
rápidos son un derecho a los ciudadanos, no esperando más de un año para
resolver sus problemas. Asegúrese de
que seguimos servir al público con respeto e integridad.
ED SEALE
NO PHOTO
AVAILABLE
LOUIE DITTA –
The JP Courts are the citizens’ courts
where all Americans can go to get a
I attended Houston Community College fair hearing in a timely manner to seek
and graduated from the University of justice. We need to ensure that the
Houston. I work as an Account Executive courts continue to move expeditiously so
for Houston Community Newspapers. that those of us who use and pay for the
I have served in senior management courts, are able to receive the services
of two Fortune 100 corporations and the courts provide.
executive level management in two midsize corporations. Please learn more at
www.EdSeale.com.
REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR / Republican Party
The County Chairman serves as the head of the County Executive Committee, which is comprised of Precinct Chairs who are elected from voting precincts within the County. Statutory responsibilities include presiding
over the quarterly meetings of the CEC, appointing Party officers, and running the Primary Election every two years. Additionally, the Chairman hires and manages the staff, is the Party’s spokesman, raises money to fund
the organization and generally is charged with helping to elect Republican candidates in elections.
QUESTIONS TO
CANDIDATES:
PARTY CHAIR
ED HUBBARD
I am a practicing lawyer. My political
experiences as a former victorious candidate in a contested 10-county primary,
and as a campaign volunteer, together
with my business experiences running
a firm, creating and implementing litigation and risk-management systems,
and working with non-profit entities,
prepares me for this job.
DON LARGE
I have been a Republican precinct chair
for ten years and have run for state representative in 2004 and Harris County
Attorney in 2002. I earned a JD degree
from the University of Houston Law
Center in 2000 and a BA in Sociology
from UH in 1997.
What goals do you have for your party
in Harris County? (60 word limit)
QUESTIONS
TO
CANDIDATES:
I want to re-focus the efforts of the
HCRP toward winning elections and
supporting our Republican officials. To
do so, we must address virtually every
aspect of the organization of the HCRP,
including:
• Unity;
• Growth;
• Modernization;
• Financial Management; and
• Communication.
JARED WOODFILL
To provide our precinct chairs and candidates the tools, the training, and the
resources to get out our message and
elect Republicans in general elections; to
provide a robust coordinated campaign
for all of our Republican nominees; to
grow the Republican party throughout Harris County by having the party
involved at the community level across
every community in Harris County.
PAUL SIMPSON
2010 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT PROPOSITIONS
BALLOT PROPOSITION 1: PHOTO ID
q FOR
q AGAINST
The Texas legislature should make it a priority to protect the integrity of our election process by
enacting legislation that requires voters to provide valid photo identification in order to cast a ballot in any and all elections conducted in the State of Texas.
BALLOT PROPOSITION 2:
CONTROLLING GOVERNMENT GROWTH
q FOR
q AGAINST
Every government body in Texas should be required to limit any annual increase in its budget and
spending to the combined increase of population and inflation unless it first gets voter approval to
exceed the allowed annual growth or in the case of an official emergency.
A partner in Woodfill & PresslerLLP,
a law firm. The firm has offices in
Houston, Texas, and Warsaw Poland.
A graduate of Clear Lake High School,
University of Texas at Austin and a
magna cum laude graduate of Saint.
Mary’s University School of law. He is
married to the former (///).
B.A. and B.S., Rice University; J.D. cum
laude U.H.; licensed engineer; practicing
attorney. Lifelong conservative Republican
grassroots activist: Republican Precinct
Chair since 1990; former Senate District
Chair, Legal Counsel, and Treasurer, Harris
County Republican Party; former Chair,
Louisiana Teen-Age Republicans and Rice
Young Republicans; Campaign Organizer,
National Conservative Victory Fund.
What goals do you have for your
party in Harris County? (60 word limit)
To build upon the success of the past
eight years. To grow the Republican
Party into communities that have not
traditionally voted Republican, ie,
Hispanic African American and Asian.
To encourage Tea Party Patriots and
other conservatives to join together and
fight for conservative principles.
The local GOP suffered massive losses in 2008 after years of Democratic
inroads. My work with Tea Party confirmed the GOP must regain voters’
trust for not just traditional values
but also fiscal responsibility, limited
government, and the Constitution. We
will empower the grassroots; make
Party finances transparent; expand
the GOP across Harris County.
www.SimpsonforGOPChair.com.
CUTTING FEDERAL INCOME TAXES
q FOR
q AGAINST
PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD
q FOR
q AGAINST
BALLOT PROPOSITION 5: SONOGRAMS
q FOR
q AGAINST
In addition to aggressively eliminating irresponsible federal spending, Congress should empower
American citizens to stimulate the economy by Congress cutting federal income taxes for all
federal taxpayers, rather than spending hundreds of billions of dollars on so-called “federal
economic stimulus”.
The use of the word “God”, prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public
gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings
and property.
The Texas Legislature should enact legislation requiring a sonogram to be performed and shown
to each mother about to undergo a medically unnecessary, elective abortion.
38
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS / WEB SITES
League of Women Voters – Houston Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lwvhouston.org / 713.784.2923
League of Women Voters of Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lwvtexas.org / 512.472.1100
Harris County Democratic Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hcdp.org / 713.802.0085
Texas Democratic Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.txdemocrats.org / 512.478.9800
Harris County Republican Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.harriscountygop.com / 832-303-2021
Texas Republican Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.texasgop.org / 512.477.9821
Harris County Green Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.harriscountygreenparty.org / 832.584.6043
Texas Green Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.txgreens.org / 832.584.6043
Harris County Libertarian Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.harrislp.org / 832.372.8131
Texas Libertarian Party. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lptexas.org / 800.422.1776
U. S. House of Representatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.house.gov / 202.224-3121
Official Portal of State of Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.texasonline.com / 877.452.9060
Texas Legislature Online. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.capitol.state.tx.us / N.A.
Texas Secretary of State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sos.state.tx.us / 800.252.8683
Harris County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.co.harris.tx.us / 713.755.5000
Harris County Clerk’s Voter/Election Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.harrisvotes.com / 713.755.6965
Harris County Voter Registrar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hcvoter.net / 713.368.8683
The League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy
through education and advocacy.
For more information call the League of Women Voters – Houston Area at 713.784.2923 or visit our Web site,
http://www.lwvhouston.org.
Or complete the application form below to join us and receive our newsletter; Voters Guide; the Voters Key, a handy
directory of elected officials and useful voter information – and much more!
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Address____________________________________________City____________State _______ Zip _ ______________
Phone: Home_________________________ Work__________________________Cell__________________________
E-mail_____________________________________________________ Fax ___________________________________
❏ One Year Individual Membership $65.00
❏ One Year Household $97.50
(Two members who share the same address)
❏ Student Membership (With ID) $25.00
❏ Donation $ _______________________
Mail check and application to:
League of Women Voters of the Houston Area,
4001 N. Shepherd Dr., Ste. #213,
Houston, TX 77018
39
March 2, 2010 Democratic Party & Republican Party Primary Elections
E A R LY V O T I N G S C H E D U L E
31
20
HWY 249
32
HWY 290
33
19
I-45
36
34
EARLY VOTING HOURS
FEB 16th - 19th: 8 am to 4:30 pm
FEB 20th: 7 am to 7 pm
30
FEB 21st: 1 pm to 6 pm
FEB 22nd – FEB 26th: 7 am to 7 pm
I-10
27
16
I N SI D E L O O P 6 1 0
1 Main Office: Harris County Administration Building,
1001 Preston, 1st Floor, 77002
15
26
25 US 59 14
2 Moody Park: Moody Park Recreation Center,
3725 Fulton, 77009
3 *Kashmere:
8
13
5
SE Houston: H.C.C.S. Southeast College,
Learning Hub, 6815 Rustic, 77087
5
12
11
19 Humble:
Octavia Fields Branch Library,
1503 South Houston Ave., Humble, 77338
7
20 Kingwood:
Humble ISD Instructional Support Ctr.,
4810 Magnolia Cove, Kingwood, 77345
Astrodome: Fiesta Mart, Inc.,
8130 Kirby Drive, 77054
8 Neartown:
Metropolitan Mutli-Service Center,
1475 W. Gray, 77019
OUTSIDE LOOP 610
9 NE Houston: Northeast Multi-Service Center,
9720 Spaulding, 77016
10 Galena Park: Galena Park Branch Library,
1500 Keene Street, Galena Park, 77547
11 Hobby Area: I.B.E.W. Hall #66,
4345 Allen Genoa Road, Pasadena, 77504
12 Sunnyside:
13 *S. Houston:
Sunnyside Multi-Service Center,
4605 Wilmington, 77051
Townwood Park,
3403 Simsbrook, 77045
14 SW Houston: Bayland Park Community Center,
6400 Bissonnet (near Hillcroft), 77074
15 Near West Side:Tracy Gee Community Center,
3599 Westcenter Drive, 77042
(One block East of Sam Houston Tollway)
16 Spring Branch: Trini Mendenhall Sosa Com. Center,
1414 Wirt Road, 77055
17 Acres Home: Acres Home Multi-Service Center,
6719 W. Montgomery Road, 77091
18 North:
17.
Hardy Senior Center
11901 West Hardy Road, 77076
40
23
I-45
24
OUTSIDE BELTWAY 8
6
Palm Center: Justice of the Peace/Constable Entry,
5300 Griggs Road, 77021
21 Wallisville:
North Channel Branch Library,
15741 Wallisville Road, 77049
22 Baytown:
Baytown Community Center,
2407 Market Street, Baytown, 77520
23 * Pasadena:
24
Harris County Courthouse Annex #25,
7330 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, 77505
Clear Lake:
Freeman Branch Library,
16616 Diana Lane, Clear Lake, 77062
25 Alief:
Henington-Alief Regional Library,
7979 South Kirkwood, 77072
26 West Houston:Lac Hong Center,
6628 Wilcrest Dr., 77072
27 * Far W. Houston:Nottingham Park,
14205 Kimberley Lane, 77079
28 Far West/Katy: Franz Road Storefront,
Any eligible voter
may vote at any one
of the early voting
polling locations.
For more information:
www.harrisvotes.com
(713) 755-6965
O U T S I D E B E LT WAY 8 c o n t
34 Cypress:
19818 Franz Road, Katy, 77449
35 Bush Park:
Bear
Creek:
Bear
Creek Park Community Center,
29
3055 Bear Creek Dr. at Patterson Rd., 77084 30 Jersey Village:City of Jersey Village-City Hall,
16327 Lakeview Dr., Jersey Village, 77040
36 * Lone Star College:
Tomball Public Works Building,
31 Tomball:
501 B James St., Tomball, 77375
37 Crosby:
32 * Cypress Creek:Champion Forest Baptist Church,
Multi-Purpose Bldg.
15555 Stuebner-Airline Dr., 77069
33 Far North:
Ponderosa Fire Station No.1,
17061 Rolling Creek Drive, 77090
22
10
BW 8
4
21
I-10
3
4
6
7
BW 8
I-610
1
Kashmere Multi-Service Center
4802 Lockwood Dr., 77026
Downtown E: Ripley House,
4410 Navigation Blvd., 77011
9
2
I-610
35
18
17
BW 8
29
28
37
US 59
Cypress Top Park,
26026 Hempstead Highway,
Cypress, 77429
Glen Cheek Education Bldg
16002 Westheimer Parkway,
77082
University Pk, Visitors Cntr,
20515 State Hwy 249, 77070
Crosby ISD Administration
Building
706 Runneburg Road,
Crosby, 77532
* Indicates changed location
The League of Women Voters appreciates
the companies that make the Voters Guide possible.
LOCAL BUSINESSES SUPPORT VOTERS GUIDE DISTRIBUTION TO SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES
Area schools and libraries will receive free Voters Guides thanks to the generosity of several companies. The companies shown below made
this happen. On behalf of the libraries and schools and our organization, the League of Women Voters – Houston Area sincerely thanks you.
LEAGUE’S EDUCATION FUNDS ARE ESSENTIAL TO VOTERS GUIDE
The Education Funds of the League of Women Voters of the Houston Area and the League of Women Voters of Texas provide funding
for this Voters Guide. These Education Funds are supported by individuals, businesses and foundations. Major contributors in 2009-2010
to the LWV-HA and LWV-TX Education Funds are gratefully acknowledged and named below.
EDUCATION FUND, League of Women Voters of the Houston Area
American Express
Andrews Kurth LLP
Breakfast Klub
Center Point Energy
Anne Clutterbuck
Costello Construction
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP
Adrian Garcia
Peggy Hamric
Hershey Foundation
Blaine and Judy Hollinger
Pam Holm
Houston Contractors Association
Houston Endowment, Inc
LAN
El Franco Lee
Sue Lovell
LWV Board
LWV Presidents
Melissa Noriega
Annise Parker
Marty Stein
Andrea and Bill White
EDUCATION FUND, League of Women Voters of Texas
Harold Simmons Foundation
Hatton W. Sumners Foundation
Texas Bar Foundation
Randalls/Tom Thumb/Safeway
HEB
Texas Classroom Teachers Association
Texas Counseling Association
Ruth Bowers
Ruthann Geer
Susybelle Gosslee
Diane Sheridan
Patricia Vaughan
Linda Wassenich
Nancy Wilson
41

Harris County Voters Guide - the League of Women Voters of the

Transcripción

Documentos relacionados