This diary is about 2 Democratic nominees, both dealing with criminal law, running for important countywide races in Harris County. Kim Ogg is running for District Attorney. Ed Gonzalez is running for Sheriff. Both offices are for 4-year terms, on the ballot in Presidential years. Both offices are held by Republican incumbents.
I am a volunteer in this campaign season. I am not a lawyer.
Since 1980 the office of Harris County District Attorney has been held by Republicans. Before that DA elections were often uncontested but since 1980 a Democrat has always run. Most Democrats got in the high 40’s. The GOP DA’s have often been criticized as serving the power of the state rather than serving justice. In recent years there have been contested Democratic primaries. Kim Ogg is running a second time for DA. She got 47 % two years ago in a year bad for Democrats; she was the front-runner among Democrats running countywide. At that time she was running for an unexpired term because a DA had died in office.
Both major party candidates this year are women.
Kim Ogg has her law degree from the South Texas College of Law (recently renamed the Houston College of Law, but name change under litigation), Juris Doctor (1986). She has a BA in journalism from The University of Texas at Austin (1981). She has served as a Harris County prosecutor. More recently she has been the managing partner of a family-owned law firm. I have seen her speak several times and have been impressed.
She has been executive director (1999-2006) of Crime Stoppers, a group that promotes citizen participation in solving crimes. Control of crime needs participation from the community at large.
She has written a book, 'Texas Gangs: The Legal Handbook’ (2000), published by the Texas District & County Attorneys’ Association.
A few years ago the Legislature passed a law allowing authorities the discretion of ticketing persons for misdemeanor possession of marihuana instead of taking them to jail. The current DA Devon Anderson first dragged her feet and then started applying this new law just to first offenses. Kim Ogg (interview by Dean Becker) would embrace this law. She supports community service rather than jail terms. She will also quit prosecutions for trace amounts of drugs.
Recently the office of the current DA jailed the victim in a rape case because the latter seemed psychologically disturbed. Kim Ogg has called for an independent investigation of this case. I have heard her say on the radio (interview by Jack Valinsky on station KPFT) that the state has many better options for housing witnesses. You can find this interview on the KPFT archives, 8 PM, Monday, Aug. 1.
Here is an audio interview with Kim Ogg by Houston Chronicle columnist Charles Kuffner.
Ed Gonzalez is running for Harris County Sheriff. The Republican incumbent was appointed recently to fill a vacancy when Democrat Adrian Garcia resigned to run for Mayor of Houston. A vacancy in a county office is filled by the County Commissioners’ Court.
Gonzalez is a police veteran, led murder investigations, and rose to the rank of Sergeant in the Houston Police Department. He served several terms on the Houston City Council. Not long ago I saw him speak at the Harris County Democratic Party's Brown Bag Lunch. I particularly thought he answered questions well; he was asked by several people about when cops should shoot and I thought he answered well.
Under the current Republican Sheriff Ron Hickman there has been retrogression on matters such as jail conditions. We need to be going forward again. Gonzalez calls for a stronger relationship between the community at large and its law enforcement.
Gonzalez and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee have called for an FBI investigation of the incarceration of the rape victim mentioned above.
Here an interview with Ed Gonzalez by Charles Kuffner.
Campaigns cost money and donations would be appreciated. You can donate here for the Kim Ogg campaign and plant a link on Facebook to ask others to donate. You can donate here for the Ed Gonzalez campaign.
The final election date is Tuesday, Nov. 8. To vote you must be registered in Harris County at least 30 days prior to Nov. 8. Early voting starts Monday Oct. 24. Voting early gives one time to rectify problems, avoid long lines at the polls. You may vote early at any of the locations in Harris County, but on Nov. 8 you must vote at your precinct location.