This diary is about Democratic nominees for 2 major offices in Harris County. Ann Harris Bennett is running for Assessor and Collector of Taxes. She is challenging a GOP incumbent. Vince Ryan is seeking re-election as County Attorney. Both serve 4-year terms.
I am just a volunteer this year. I am not a lawyer.
The Assessor and Collector of Taxes does much of the work in collecting property taxes. He/she handles license plates and vehicle transfers. He/she also is the county’s voter registrar. That duty includes training of volunteer voter registration deputies. A friend who has worked with Ann Harris Bennett says she is a very good organizer. She has experience as a legal secretary, worked under District Judge Felix Salazar.
There is a state law giving high school principals a duty to register eligible students to vote, but this law has not been well implemented. It seems many principals do not even know about it. Ann Bennett wants to see that this law is definitely implemented. We Democrats can hope to get more voters if they start young. Perhaps Young Democrats could be a driving force.
Here is an interview with Ann Bennett by Houston Chronicle columnist Charles Kuffner.
Vince Ryan has his law degree from the University of Houston. He has BA from the University of Houston and a Master’s degree in history from Rice University. He served on the Houston City Council, 1987-93. He was first elected County Attorney in 2008, re-elected in 2012. The County Attorney represents the county in civil cases.
On the morning of June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court handed down its decision in Obergefell v Hodges, in favor of marriage equality nationwide. The Republican County Clerk Stan Stanart claimed he did not have the right forms for same-sex marriages. Ryan issued his opinion that the law called for the County not to delay. By 3 PM same-sex marriages were performed by several judges in the County. Dallas County had performed the first such marriage in Texas.
Campaign donations would be appreciated and you can find donation pages off both these candidates’ websites.
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.