March 06, 2007
The Ed Era begins

Congratulations to Ed Emmett on his selection as Harris County Judge.


Commissioners Court, including outoing County Judge Robert Eckels, unanimously tapped Emmett for the job that includes presiding over the county's governing body.

Guess they finally got to Sylvia Garcia. Oh, well. At least the Republican grassroots folks are disappointed, too.

On Monday night, [outgoing Judge Robert] Eckels took heat during a meeting of the county Republican Executive Committee at the Houston Community College campus on the West Loop, where party leaders criticized Eckels for leaving so soon after he was re-elected, and for backing Emmett over better-known incumbent officials with proven countywide electability.

"Don't dump our party in the grease," said state Sen. Dan Patrick, a talk-radio host and a leader of the local party's most conservative wing. "Don't leave us with someone no one knows."

Emmett, 57, will have to run in 2008 to complete Eckels' four-year term, and Democrats are hungry for county inroads after seeing their Dallas counterparts recapture county government last November.

"Robert Eckels has been a fine public servant," Patrick said. "But voters did not intend for someone to run for office and step down two months later for their own personal gain."


Sorry, Danno. I sympathize with the second thing you said - indeed, I agree fully - but two wrongs don't make a right. It would be equally wrong to use Eckels's departure as a scheme to promote other officeholders. Nobody voted for Paul Bettencourt for County Judge, either, and nobody intended for Charles Bacarisse to be voted into one office and then moved to another. The right thing here was simple: If Eckels didn't want the job, he should have announced his intentions in a timely enough manner to have allowed for a real election last November. And state law should be changed so that the next time this happens, a replacement election takes place much sooner. Perhaps Ed Emmett can champion that cause as part of his platform to win this job legitimately.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on March 06, 2007 to Local politics
Comments

Don't dump our party in the grease

Looks like Danno and the friers will be scheduling a lovefest.

Posted by: Charles Hixon on March 6, 2007 4:10 PM
I'd just like to say that being chosen as this month's Miss County Judge is like a compliment that I'll remember for as long as I can. Right now I'm a freshman in my fourth year at Cougar High, but my goal is to become a veterinarian because I support our troops!
--with apologies to Julie Brown Posted by: Michael on March 6, 2007 5:48 PM

I do not live in Harris County but remember Emmett from his service in the Texas House and the in DC. He is a class act that will work very well in DC and Austin...alot like Lee Jackson when he was Dallas County Judge. Patrick on the other hand reminds most in Austin of a Senator from Houston whose name was Mad Dog. He hung around a while and did nothing. Of course Patrick can do what he wants no one was counting on him anyway.

Posted by: ears1foru on March 6, 2007 10:56 PM

[Emmett] is a class act that will work very well in DC and Austin

Which is where he will likely be when he passes the gavel mid-term 2012 to another lobbyist-in-training.

Posted by: Charles Hixon on March 7, 2007 9:15 PM