Chronicle Endorses Candidate Knowing Full Well Of His Attacks On Democracy

The Houston Chronicle recently endorsed three candidates for the new elected Harris County Appraisal District positions. (HCAD)

(Here is a Houston Democracy Project post about the HCAD elections.) 

One of the endorsed candidates is Republican Kyle Scott.  

Here is some of what the Chronicle said about Mr. Scott in the endorsement:

"In 2022, when he ran for Harris County treasurer as a Republican, we endorsed his opponents because Scott suggested that he'd effectively veto county commissioners by refusing to sign checks as a final safeguard against wasteful spending. Such a protest would seem to go far beyond the largely ceremonial duties of a relatively minor county position." 

Also, Mr. Scott was one of the 21 defeated Harris County Republicans to sue to overturn 2022 General Election results. The suits were tossed out by a Republican Judge.

Even before Election Day 2022, the Chronicle editorial board knew Mr. Scott was willing to exceed his responsibilities. Then, in our political climate of election denial, he sues, in a case of dubious merit, to overturn the people's vote. Chronicle political reporter Jen Rice was clear that the suits had little merit. And STILL the Chronicle endorsed him. They did so while writing in the same editorial that Democrat Melissa Noriega, who is in the HCAD Position 2 race with Mr. Scott and others, is a perfectly good choice. (Please vote for Ms. Noriega.)   

The Chronicle editorial board should not interview any candidate who will not make a firm commitment to accepting election results.    

It is difficult to know to do with this lack of judgement from institutions and local civic structures we should be able to trust. It is not surprising, but it is still difficult to know what to do with it. Candidates can make it clear as day that they don't respect the office they are seeking & don't respect ballot box outcomes, and still the hometown paper tells readers to vote for the guy.

Sometimes it feels we are very much on our own. The folks who run institutions and sources of information we want to be able to rely on, often seem most concerned with process, seeming fair-minded even when interacting with people attacking freedom & self-preservation. 

The premise of the Houston Democracy Project is that rank & file Houstonians and residents of Harris County most form their own networks of action, ideas, communication and safety for the authoritarian challenges ahead. We must insist that our elected officials show up for us. And we must demand that our institutions meet the challenges of a worsening political and social climate.          

Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

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