You can say that again…
Don’t see this often: Libertarian nominee for AG, Mark Ash, endorses Democratic opponent @RochelleMGarza. Ash has run statewide before, getting 2.5% in a 2020 SCOTX race.
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) 1:50 PM – 27 October 2022
Here’s his opinion piece, which I hope gets picked up by some larger papers.
Rochelle Garza
My parents came to America from ex-Yugoslavia with no property or money. They had to learn American English and America’s customs. Like so many immigrants, they built a life in America for my brother and me. And they both became proud U.S. citizens.
Our family’s story of authoritarianism has informed nearly every aspect of my life. It propelled me into the profession of law, to safeguard the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution. It compels me to represent people accused of violating those laws and who can’t afford an attorney. And it is why I am a Libertarian. I fight every day to ensure that the State does not overstep its authority, and to protect our freedoms.
That’s also why I decided to run for Attorney General of Texas. A democracy should offer choices. With only two major political parties on the ballot in an extremely important race, I entered this race to give Texans a third choice.
But on the eve of the election, giving Texans a third choice feels inadequate. The stakes are now simply too high for me to settle merely to be another option for Texans who, like me, love our state, love our country and value our freedoms.
I have thought long and hard how to say this, and I don’t say this lightly. Ken Paxton is the poster child for corruption and authoritarianism. And if he is allowed to continue, we might have to be the ones to flee.
The office of the Attorney General is incredibly powerful and not very well understood. Basically, it acts as the police officer for the state, enforcing our laws. At least, that’s what it’s meant to do. Under Ken Paxton, it is a weapon that is used against innocent Texans. It is also a tool for him to avoid obeying the law himself. Like a bad cop on steroids, he is using his insider knowledge to get away with crimes, and his very great power to take away our freedoms, from intimidating people from voting to stealing property owners’ land.
I know that many voters are reluctant to throw away their votes on a third-party candidate. So if you feel that your vote may not count, then voting for Rochelle Garza is the better choice. Therefore, I am taking the extraordinary of recommending Rochelle Garza for Attorney General over Ken Paxton. Not voting or voting for me may not be enough.
This is a pivotal moment in American history that we are facing. Our way of life hangs in the balance. Ken Paxton isn’t playing politics-as-usual. He is taking pages from the authoritarian playbook. And we cannot afford to play politics-as-usual. That is why I am taking this unheard-of step.
We must kick Ken Paxton out of office in order to save our liberties.
While Rochelle is the Democratic candidate, there is a lot of overlap with our Libertarian values. She believes in legalizing marijuana and is against using public domain to steal our land for an ineffective border wall. I believe not only that she will respect the rule of law but that she will fight for our freedoms.
While we have seen some prominent Republicans endorsing Democratic candidates this cycle, I can’t recall a situation like this before, in which a candidate running in a partisan race endorsed one of their opponents. I’d have to search to find the examples, but it’s happened in primaries and special elections and non-partisan races, usually when one candidate for whatever the reason suspends their campaign. If you can think of a recent on-point example to accompany this, please leave a comment.
Does this make much of a difference in the race? Probably not much. It will be interesting to see if Ash score less than his Libertarian peers, as that will at least provide some kind of metric. And it only really matters if Paxton fails to get at least fifty percent of the vote. Whatever happens, I thank Mark Ash for recognizing the stakes of this race, and doing his part to make a difference.
Thank you for the post, but I did not endorse my opponent Rochelle Garza. I did not drop out of the race and I continue to ask for your vote. Ken Paxton should not be elected for a third term. As AG I would get politics out of the AG’s office and focus on the constitutional role of the AG’s office to assist the local County and District Attorney’s in prosecuting accused violent offenders. I would advocate for limited constitutional government including the right to carry, the right to travel, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and mostly importantly, the right to due process. I would not use the AG’s office to shake down legitimate businesses by suing them for violating the massive number of state and federal regulations that do not substantially effect anyone’s rights. Thank you for your interest in my candidacy
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