We Must Be Effective Advocates For '26 Harris County Democratic Judicial Slate

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Above you see word of an event later this week promoting Harris County Democratic Party judges. Many Harris County Democratic judges are on the 2026 ballot. It is essential that Republicans do not make gains in Harris County courts. 

The Republican Party is a far-right extremist operation, Elon Musk is funding judicial candidates in Texas and we do not need Republicans on the Harris County bench as we move towards authoritarianism. I don't want Republican judges helping decide the fate of anyone arrested defending their freedom. 

Harris County Democratic judges have been stepping up efforts to explain what they do in the face of relentless lying attacks from the right. I don't understand losing control of the narrative over law and order when Republicans all back a President of who is a felon, an insurrectionist and a sexual predator. Republicans are super-charging the ICE secret police who could disappear any of us tomorrow with no due process. How is any Republican a credible voice on following the law? 

Back in May, I went to a meeting of the Texas Democratic Women-Harris Metro where there was a panel of judges. I felt the judges were a bit technical in how they explained things. I felt they should have offered a handout with some quick points for Democrats to share with people they know. But I certainly appreciated that they were making the effort. A helpful thing they said was that the focus on the criminal courts from the right, was in fact about gaining control of the civil courts. They want control of all the financial judgments and whatever it is ( I have no idea really.) that goes on in the civil courts. 

Here is the website of the Harris County Courts if you want to look around. Here is the website of the District Courts of Harris County. Why do they have different websites? I don't know. But I'm going to find out because I want to be able to speak for the judges even though I don't always find it overly interesting. I do find my freedom interesting and I don't want Republican judges. 

(One thing that would be great would be for local attorneys to take their oath to the Constitution more seriously. How on Earth do they think the Constitution itself will survive the current onslaught?  Here is the Texas Bar oath all lawyers take. It very much includes upholding the Constitution. Where are the voices and resources of the professions as health, the law and academia are under relentless assault?) 

​(Also remember as you take your own time to learn about and advocate for Harris County Democratic judges, that County Commissioner Rodney Ellis has over $7 million in his campaign bank account. Commissioner Ellis has done good work on progressive criminal justice reform and getting resources to the Harris County Public Defenders office. At the same time, his reluctance to spend some of the money he has obtained in his lucrative political career to defend polices he has advanced, is an everyday slap in the face to the rank & file that give many hours of free labor--including blockwalking in the heat with stray dogs around-- to Harris County Democrats.) 

​I've been watching a number of Harris County Democratic judges hit the campaign trail early to start making the case for 2026. They are doing this on top of being in the courtroom. Some of them out early now, may get a primary challenge for March, 2026. They have little control over having to contest a primary. These judges are making it clear they will speak to just about any type of group to explain what they do. (If you e-mail me at [email protected], I'll get you in contact with a judge to potentially speak to your group.)

I'm always hesitant to shift any additional burdens to the rank & file. We have enough problems. But I do think we have to school ourselves to be effective advocates for the Harris County Democratic judicial slate in 2026. There is just too much at stake to not apply the needed effort.

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.​​

Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​​​​​​​

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