2018 SPECIAL EDITION
FULL CANDIDATE LISTING FOR THE MARCH 6, 2018 PRIMARY ELECTION IN GRIMES COUNTY Editor’s Note: All candidates running on a Grimes County ballot for the March 6, 2018, Primary Election were contacted and given the opportunity to provide a submission for The Examiner’s Meet the Candidates 2018 special section. U.S. Senator Democrat Beto O’Rourke Edward Kimbrough Sema Hernandez Republican Geraldine Sam Bruce Jacobson Jr. Stefano de Stefano Mary Miller *Ted Cruz U.S. Representative District 8 Democrat Steven David of Spring Republican *Kevin Brady Governor Democrat Joe Mumbach James Jolly Clark Lupe Valdez Grady Yarbrough Andrew White Tom Wakely Jeffrey Payne Cedric Davis Sr. Adrian Ocegueda Republican Barbara Krueger Secede Kilgore *Greg Abbott Lieutenant Governor Democrat Michael Cooper Mike Collier
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Republican *Dan Patrick Scott Milder
Steven Kirkland Republican Jimmy Blacklock
Attorney General Democrat Justin Nelson Republican *Ken Paxton
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4 Democrat R.K. Sandill Republican *John Devine
Comptroller of Public Accounts Democrat Tim Mahoney Joi Chevalier Republican *Glenn Hegar Commissioner of General Land Office Democrat Tex Morgan Miguel Suazo Republican Jerry Patterson Rick Range Davey Edwards *George P. Bush Commissioner of Agriculture Democrat Kim Olson Republican Trey Blocker *Sid Miller Jim Hogan Railroad Commissioner Democrat Roman McAllen Chris Spellmon Republican *Christi Craddick Weston Martinez Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 Democrat
District 13 Democrat Cecil Ray Webster Sr. Republican Daniel McCarthy David K. Stall Ben Leman Jill Wolfskill Marc S. Young
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 Democrat Kathy Cheng Republican *Jeff Brown
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 2 Democrat Gordon Goodman Republican *Jane Bland
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Democrat Maria T. (Terri) Jackson Republican *Sharon Keller David Bridges
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 6 Democrat Sarah Beth Landau Republican *Harvey Brown
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7 Democrat Ramona Franklin Republican *Barbara Parker Hervey Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 Republican Michelle Slaughter Dib Waldrip Jay Brandon
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 7 Democrat Julie Countiss Republican Terry Yates Katy Boatman Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 8 Democrat Richard Hightower Republican *Michael Massengale
State Senator, District 5 Democrat Glenn “Grumpy” Williams Brian E. Cronin Meg Walsh Republican *Charles Schwertner Harold Ramm
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 9 Democrat Peter Kelly Republican *Jennifer Caughey
State Representative,
Justice 14th Court of
Appeals District, Place 3 Democrat Jerry Zimmerer Joseph R. Willie II Republican *Brett Busby Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 4 Democrat Charles Spain Republican *Marc Brown Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 5 Democrat Frances Bourliot Republican *Martha Hill Jamison Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 Democrat Meagan Hassan Republican *Bill Boyce Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 8 Democrat Margaret “Meg” Poissant Michele Barber Chimene Republican *John Donovan District Attorney 506th Judicial District Republican **Andria Bender
District Clerk Republican **Diane LeFlore County Clerk Republican Vanessa Burzynski County Treasurer Republican *Janice A. Trant County Commissioner Precinct 2 Republican David Tullos *David E. Dobyanski County Commissioner Precinct 4 Republican *Gary A. Husfeld Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Republican **Christopher M. Acord Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Republican *Lester Underwood Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Democrat Ronnie Wells Republican Mark S. Laughlin
Grimes County Judge Republican Mike Pederson **Joe Fauth
County Chairman Democrat James D. Harris Republican Susan Patrick
Judge, County Court–at-Law Republican **Tuck Moody McLain
*denotes incumbent. **denotes interim appointment.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
“It’s a great honor to represent the people of District 5, and I am very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. There is more work to be done, and I look forward to continuing the fight for our communities and our conservative values. I would appreciate your vote on Tuesday, March 6.”
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Charles Schwertner passed a bill that permanently protects the private property rights of all Texans against big government abuses of eminent domain.
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Charles Schwertner has fought against bad nursing homes in Texas and passed strong legislation to protect seniors from abuse and neglect.
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Charles Schwertner has received an A rating from the NRA for his leadership in defending the Second Amendment.
Endorsed by Organizations You Know and Trust.
NRA
Republican Primary: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Early Voting: February 20-March 2
DrSchwertner.com
Pol. Ad Paid by Texans for Charles Schwertner. Campaign, Treasurer: Dr. Stephen Benold
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Cecil R. Webster Sr. FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 13
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During my 26 years of military service, principles, honesty, and integrity were more than just words to me. They were and are a way of life. Like you, I expect our elected leaders to live by those same words.
Paid political advertising by Cecil Webster
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I, Cecil R. Webster Sr., am asking for your vote to be your next state representative. I am requesting your vote at least three times this year. The first vote is in the March 6 Democratic Primary. The last vote is in the November 6 General Election. Those elections determine who your state representative will be during the 86th Texas Legislature (January 2019 – January 2021). Given State Representative Leighton Schubert’s recent resignation, we do not have a state representative in Austin today. Governor Greg Abbott just called for a special election on May 5 to fill this vacancy. I am running in that special election, and I am asking for your vote in it as well. Why should you vote for me? During my 26 years of military service, principles, honesty, and integrity were more than just words to me. They were and are a way of life. Like you, I expect our elected leaders to live by those same words. In too many instances that is not the case. Because of the expenses associated with running a campaign, legislators are too prone to pay more attention to the needs of well-heeled campaign contributors and special interest groups than to the needs of everyday, hardworking Texans. That is why we are seeing legislators attempting to divert public funds away from public schools and into private schools. That is why legislators are focused on bathroom bills, instead of supporting victims of Hurricane Harvey. That is why legislators are focused on making it more difficult to vote, instead of easier to vote. That is why legislators are more concerned about gun rights than they are about the rights of students to attend a safe school. I am running for state representative to help return the legislature’s focus back to the needs of all Texans, not a select few. I want the legislature to address real problems that real Texans face every day. First and foremost, on my list is fully funding public schools, which is where 90% of our children attend school. Our children are the future of Texas and we have an obligation to ensure that they have access to a first class public education. Likewise, I want our legislature to embrace a woman’s right to make personal
healthcare decisions about her body. I want our legislature to pass laws supporting equal pay for equal work, and the establishment of a living wage. I want the legislature to stop wasting $800 million on policing a southern border that President Trump promised to secure. I want Texas to work with the federal government in enacting sensible immigration reform that does not break up otherwise long-established, law-abiding families. I want Texas to be a leader in criminal justice reform, instead of having more non-violent inmates locked up than any other state. And the list goes on with respect to jobs, property rights, property taxes, local control, veterans support, voting rights, the environment, and a host of other issues. Those are the issues I champion. That is why I am running for state representative. If elected, I will doggedly pursue each of these – not for me, not for special interest groups, and not for big campaign contributors, but for you and our youth. I will do so with unyielding principles, complete honesty, and unwavering integrity. So who am I? As alluded to earlier, I am a native Texan who served in the U.S. Army for 26 years, retiring as a ‘full bird’ colonel. I commanded, led, and managed soldiers and civilians with high school diplomas and with PhDs. I served as the U.S. Army’s representative to the Canadian Army, as well as an assistant professor teaching engineering to cadets at the United State Military Academy at West Point, New York. I have developed and tested tactical and strategic missile systems, overseeing annual budgets of $300 million. None of this would have been possible without the public school education I received. I attended public schools in Robertson County, in Grimes County, and in Brazos County. Subsequently, I graduated from Prairie View A&M University (B.S.) and Texas A&M University (M.S.). I am forever indebted to these public education teachers, who molded me into the man I am today. For more information about my political, civic, religious, and social engagements, please see my website at www.websterfortexas.com.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
I’m not a career politician, I’m not a large cattle farmer, I’m not the CEO of a million-dollar company, what I am is a concerned Texan whose community and family values runs through my veins. I spent nine years in the Marine Corps. with two tours to Iraq and two tours to Afghanistan, and in doing so I took an oath to uphold and defend the constitution. I was ready to give my life for the idea of a perfect union we hold so dear. Now I’m ready to uphold and defend our conservative Texan values. In keeping with the traditions of honor, courage, and commitment, I will honor and value your thoughts and opinions. I will have the courage to fight for our security and freedom, and will commit to serve the community. When you send me to Austin you will send a piece of you with me.
We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work on fiscal responsibility, lowering our taxes, enforcing the laws we have and not making frivolous new ones, overhauling our teacher retirement system, and stopping federal government overreach with unfunded mandates that rip at the fabric of our Texan values. We will do this while protecting our second amendment rights, our pro-life values, and securing our border by supporting our law enforcement and the men and women who put their lives on the line. If Texas can be a beacon and uphold the values of the constitution, then I think the nation will follow and that’s what I’m going to fight for. To make sure the world sees that here, in Texas, we value individual liberty. I believe that in our core, Texan values are conservative values, we all share a commitment to liberty.
Daniel McCarthy
FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 13
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In keeping with the traditions of honor, courage, and commitment, I will honor and value your thoughts and opinions. I will have the courage to fight for our security and freedom, and will commit to serve the community.
DANIEL
MCCARTHY
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for
State Representative Marine. Conservative. Texan. I believe in our core that Texas values are conservative values. Facebook.com/McCarthy4Rep Paid Political Ad. paid for by Daniel McCarthy
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David Stall
FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 13
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Over the last decade, I have built and maintained personal and professional relationships with legislators in both houses, on both sides of the aisle and across the entire state. I took on state officials at the highest levels.
There is no substitute for experience.
Pol.Ad paid for by David Stall Campaign, PO Box 1121, La Grange, TX 78945-1121
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My name is David Stall. My wife, Linda, and I live in a 90-year-old Czech farmhouse surrounded by open land and cattle outside the small town of Fayetteville, in Fayette County. There is no place we would rather live. Rural Texas is the very foundation of our great state. This is the land of hard work, individual freedoms, strong families and stronger faith. This is the land that produces food for our tables and opportunities for our children. Every day rural Texans demonstrate self-reliance, hard work and strong community. These are values that we must protect and defend. Every two years we have the opportunity to enact new state laws in support of our values, goals and priorities. Even more important is the need to change or repeal existing law. Laws that force our property taxes to skyrocket. Laws that restrict, limit or undermine local control of our cities, school districts and counties. Laws that burden our businesses and lives with unnecessary regulations. This year I have retired at the end of a 40-year career serving Texas communities as a police officer, fire marshal and city manager. In 2004, I became aware of the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC). Enabling legislation had already been passed, contracts were being prepared for a colossal land grab and TxDOT was nearly done holding 254 required hearings. I was appalled at the unjustifiable threat to family farms and ranches. I was told it was too late and that nothing could be done to stop the project. I was not discouraged. Together with my wife, I created an organization to challenge the bad public policy of the TTC. We became CorridorWatch. I attended, promoted and spoke at hearings and rallies across the state, many of them here in House District 13. In 2005, we came to Grimes County and stood on the courthouse steps with Grimes County Commissioner Pam Finke and State Representative Lois Kolkhorst to assist you in your opposition to the TTC. Over the last decade, I have built and
maintained personal and professional relationships with legislators in both houses, on both sides of the aisle and across the entire state. I took on state officials at the highest levels. I went to war with the foreign toll road profiteers and their lobbyists, as well as the state and federal transportation bureaucracies that were promoting this boondoggle. I worked with local, state and national leaders behind the scenes and testified countless times. I fought the battle against the TTC for seven years and won. We won, property owners won and Texas won. Today, high-speed rail poses another challenge and threat to our private property and rural communities. I’m encouraged by the coordinated and vocal opposition. But that’s just not enough. The protections that are needed can only be produced by passing new legislation. So far the only two bills I’m aware of that passed assume the high-speed rail will be built. Neither of these bills expand private property protections urgently needed to protect the property owners of Grimes County. This is something that must be addressed in the next session. Let’s lower taxes, reduce government regulation and protect rural Texas. Let’s keep our rural economy strong by attracting and retaining business and employment opportunities. Let’s strengthen public education. Let’s demand the federal government do its job and provide real border security and address the financial burden illegal immigration causes our state and counties. I want to bring my legislative relationships and experience to District 13, where I can be effective as your State Representative on day one. If you share my passion for rural Texas and good government, I ask for your support. Together, we can ensure that the needs and concerns of our communities are well represented in the Texas House. Let’s work together and create a brighter future for our children, communities, and Texas. God bless you and God bless Texas.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
Paid Pol Ad by Ben Leman
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Jill Wolfskill
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FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 13 I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. His principles have guided my life and served us well as we raised our children and grew our business. If elected to the Texas House, these are the principles I will take with me to help me prioritize between good, better, and best. I humbly ask for your vote on March 6 to represent you in Austin.
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Howdy Grimes County, I’m Jill Wolfskill, running to be your next State Representative. I’ve been married to Joe for 41 years and we have five children and five grandchildren. Joe and I have owned and operated our business, James Industries, for 35 years and are very proud to be small business owners. Our company represents manufacturers and sells equipment going into power and chemical plants. We are, by nature, service oriented and problem-solvers. I believe these skills will serve the district well if I am blessed to represent the district in Austin. Previously, I served as a precinct chair and election judge and was elected as a delegate five times to the state convention. I educated my children at home in the pioneering days of the homeschool movement. It took a lot of resilience and determination to complete their education, which makes me all the more proud of the men and women my children have become. My oldest daughter went on to become a special education teacher and earned Teacher of the Year award. One of my sons is serving his ninth deployment in the Navy. Our other daughter is a NICU nurse, and we have a bioenvironmental scientist and an industrial engineer employed at James Industries. Joe and I own 10 acres in Austin County, and that land is precious to us. In our 25 years as landowners, we have dealt with threats of eminent domain abuse, people trying to pump our groundwater out from under us, and rising property taxes both on our home and business. I’m running because I want to protect the freedoms that we have enjoyed for the next generation. I want to fight to protect private property rights and ensure landowners have a robust bill of rights to ensure large corporations or public-private partnerships are not permitted to bully us out of our homes. I will fight for meaningful property tax relief so the government cannot tax us out of our homes. Furthermore, I will fight for fiscal transparency and accountability with our tax dollars. Waste must be removed from the state budget in order to pass meaningful property tax relief.
I am Pro-Life and believe all life is sacred from conception until natural death. I have supported Pro-Life organizations for decades and was a crisis pregnancy counselor at New Beginnings Pregnancy Center in Brenham. This is not a political position for me, but a moral one. We lose 50,000 lives to abortion each year in Texas. Our 27 smallest states add up to the population of 60 million. We have lost that many lives to abortion since Roe v. Wade. I will fight to protect the unborn in every way possible. Illegal immigration has placed a huge burden on our citizens and our counties. We need to protect and secure our border and support President Trump’s plan to build a wall. I am pro-2nd amendment and am proud to have received the highest candidate rating from the NRA and TSRA. I support our public school teachers and will fight to fix our broken school finance system so that our formulas reflect the actual cost of educating a child and we do not send our tax dollars out of our district. Our tax dollars must go back into the classroom. Teachers must be freed from the burdensome mandates that force them to spend too much time teaching to a test. My life has given me a perspective, the lens in which I see the world and make value judgments. Early in his life, my second born son faced a life-threatening disease and I fought to see him reach full health. My grandson was born 10 weeks early at only 2 pounds, 9 ounces. I saw him fight to live and watched our doctors and nurses work tirelessly to give him the chance to become the healthy boy he is today. Every time my oldest son deploys to areas of conflict and danger and leaves his family, I am reminded of the sacrifices required to enjoy our many freedoms. Living through these personal trials has given me a healthy perspective on life. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. His principles have guided my life and served us well as we raised our children and grew our business. If elected to the Texas House, these are the principles I will take with me to help me prioritize between good, better, and best. I humbly ask for your vote on March 6 to represent you in Austin.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
I have been involved in politics since I was 16-years-old and circulated handbills for a Republican Presidential Candidate in the 1968 election. I have attended county and state conventions since 1973. I have posted signs and walked blocks for candidates and did so in college. Even while in college circulating a referendum petition, fighting for it through district court and winning the right to have the issue on the ballot. I was a voter’s registrar while in college. I worked the polls as an election clerk during college and into the 80s. In 2010, my wife and I volunteered for the Iowa Presidential Caucus strike force for Perry. I also signed up to run for the newly assigned Congressional District 34 when it appeared that there was no GOP candidate signed up to run. I subsequently withdrew three months later after the Supreme Court reversed the maps that the San Antonio judges had drawn, and Austin County was returned to CD-10 (Michael McCaul’s district). In 2012, as a delegate to the Texas GOP State Convention, I was asked by the platform committee chair, Tom Mechler, to serve as an ex-officio member of the platform committee as Sargent-at-Arms. I did this again in 2014. There, although not a voting member of the committee, I was able to influence key committee members to include some of my language in the platform on Taxes and Energy. In 2012, I had the great honor of being able to represent CD-10 as an alternate delegate to the National GOP Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 2014, I, like many in this district, supported our then current Representative Lois Kolkhorst in her race to be elected State Senator. However, in the divisive special election campaign and runoff that followed, as the vice-chair of Austin County GOP, I believed it was my duty to report certain people that were clearly violating the campaign election laws. I volunteered in Abbott’s campaign to block walk in Brenham. In 2016, when our current chair stepped down, I ran for Austin County GOP Chair
against a former chair, “Buddy” Koenig, and lost. It was an experience that taught me a bit about campaigning that I will apply to this race. I am married to my wonderful wife, Becky, in 1971 and we recently celebrated 46 years of marriage in October. We have raised two great kids, America and Patrick. Both are married and there are two grandkids, Pearl and Campbell. I am an Austin County rancher. I am a member of Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Farm Bureau, the Austin County Livestock Association, The Beefmaster Breeders United and The Hereford Association. I am a retired chemical engineer, although I am still a licensed engineer, and a principal in a Texas licensed engineering firm that still does some process and facilities consulting for some smaller midstream companies. I am a lifetime member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. We have a 200-plus acre ranch in Austin County, where my wife and I have grown milo and corn and operated a cowcalf operation for many years. Becky and I, through our Y1 Ranch, have been a big supporter of local youth in 4H and FFA. I got involved in the fight to stop the Trans-Texas Corridor when five alternative routes were mapped across our farm. I was a key party to the contested hearing that stopped the attempt to take Austin County groundwater for Houston suburbs. I found that if the applicants had been successful, our water wells on our property would have been dropped well below their depth to produce potable water. I, as one of the few actual landowners admitted as a party to the contested hearing and as an engineer, was able to identify key weaknesses in the applicant’s position with respect to aquifer modeling that along with support from the Ft. Bend Water Authority shut that application down. My participation at the state party level will provide me with the resources in the legislature to defend the rural counties I am running to represent. Vote for Marc Young on March 6!
Marc Young
FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 13
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My participation at the state party level will provide me with the resources in the legislature to defend the rural counties I am running to represent.
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VOTE FOR
Landowner Property Rights Landowner Groundwater Rights Ag Issues County Roads and Bridges March 6th GOP Primary Austin County Rancher Retired Engineer A Neighbor Helping Neighbors https:www.Facebook.com/Young4TX13/ Political Advertisement Paid for by Marc Young PO Box 1693, Sealy, TX 77474
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Julie Countiss
FOR JUSTICE 1ST COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT, PLACE 7
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Julie Countiss has the core values, integrity, experience and dedication to public service that will make her an excellent judge.
! E T O V JULIE
COUNTISS FOR JUSTICE
1ST Court of Appeals, Pl.7 Austin-Brazoria-Chambers-Colorado Fort Bend-Galveston-Grimes-Harris Waller-Washington Counties Political Ad paid for by Julie Countiss
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Julie Countiss is running for the 1st Court of Appeals, Place 7. There are nine justices on the First Court of Appeals. The current justice in Place 7 is not running for re-election so there is no incumbent in this race. Julie has the core values, integrity, experience and dedication to public service that will make her an excellent justice. Julie is a 2002 University of Houston Law Center graduate with 16 years of legal experience. Early in her career, Julie practiced in private law firms on both the plaintiff and defense side. In 2014, she was appointed by Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan as an Assistant County Attorney for Harris County. Julie earned her undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, in 1993. Before attending law school, Julie was a Teach for America Corps Member ‘93-’95, teaching elementary school in the South Bronx, NYC. Currently, as an Assistant County Attorney, Julie maintains a robust courtroom practice in Houston. She represents Harris County in a wide variety of state and federal court litigation. She is also a member of the Nuisance Abatement group - a unique specialty of the Harris County Attorney’s Office. In this group, Julie and her colleagues work closely with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Constables and the Houston Police Department to rid the county of illicit, dangerous businesses. Julie and her colleagues file civil lawsuits against locations such as illicit massage parlors and illegal after-hours clubs, where young women are often sex trafficked and other vile crimes frequently occur. In 2015, Julie co-wrote a journal article about nuisance abatement entitled “The Power of Civil En-
forcement,” published by the American Journal of Criminal Law at the University of Texas School of Law. Julie is a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, member of the Houston Bar Association, Association of Women Attorneys, and Texas District and County Attorney’s Association. She has taught continuing legal education courses for TDCAA and the HCAO. Inspired by her father, retired Justice Richard Countiss, Julie is passionate about the law and she believes that courage and integrity are fundamental qualities of a good judge. Julie recently won the State Bar of Texas Judicial Preference Poll for 1st Court of Appeals, Place 7. That means her peers all over the State of Texas believe Julie Countiss is the best candidate for this bench. Julie raised her two children in the Houston public school system. They grew-up attending St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where Julie’s family is still very involved. Texas has 14 courts of appeals with intermediate appellate jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases appealed from district or county courts. Each court of appeals has jurisdiction in a specific geographical region of the state. The First Court of Appeals sits in Houston, Texas, and has jurisdiction in the following ten counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller, and Washington. Voters in these counties can vote for Julie Countiss for Justice in the Democratic Primary and again in the General Election, Nov. 6, 2018. Julie Countiss has the core values, integrity, experience and dedication to public service that will make her an excellent judge. To join Julie’s team, go to www.JulieCountiss.com.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
Terry Yates is a lifelong Texan, conservative, and Board Certified Attorney. Terry is married to former Justice Leslie Brock Yates and they have two sons, Brock (19) and Ryan (17). With nearly 28 years of experience as a prosecutor, judge and attorney, Terry ranks among the top lawyers in Texas. Texas Monthly recognizes him as a Texas Super Lawyer. His cases have drawn national and international media coverage including recent appearances on Fox News, ESPN and 48 Hours. Most recently, Terry successfully defended Pro Life Champion David Daleiden. David exposed Planned Parenthood for selling fetuses and baby body parts. But instead of prosecuting Planned Parenthood, a Harris County prosecutor chose to prosecute David. Yates got the cases against Daleiden dismissed. David continues to be a Pro Life
Champion today. Because of his law and order principles Yates is the unanimous choice of law enforcement agencies across the state. His campaign has been endorsed by Houston, Baytown, Pasadena, Pearland Texas City and Galveston Police Associations, as well as the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. Yates has been endorsed by many sheriffs and former sheriffs, including, Don Sowell of Grimes County, Troy Nehls of Ft. Bend County, Joe King formerly Brazoria County Sheriff, as well the former Ft. Bend Sheriff Milton Wright. Terry Yates is committed to serving the public and has been a prosecutor and judge for the vast majority of his legal career. Please consider voting and supporting him for Justice, First Court of Appeals Place, 7.
Terry Yates
FOR JUSTICE 1ST COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT, PLACE 7
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Because of his law and order principles Yates is the unanimous choice of law enforcement agencies across the state.
Terry Yates is a Board Certified Attorney with 25 years experience as a Prosecutor and Judge
PRO-LIFE CHAMPION
Terry Yates successfully represented pro-life champion David Daleiden who exposed Planned Parenthood Dr. Rick Scarborough
Founder of Vision America
Rev. Dave Welch
Founder of Texas Pastor Council
MARCH 6, 2018
UNANIMOUS CHOICE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
“Terry Yates has the experience, conservative values, and law and order principles that will make him a terrific Justice on the First Court of Appeals.” Don Sowell, Grimes County Sheriff
Houston
Pearland
Galveston
Texas City
Harris County
Baytown
P U B L I C AT I O N S The Houston Police Texas FOP
Pasadena
Retired Officers
Association
Vote for Terry Yates for Justice in the Republican Primary, March 6. Early voting runs through March 2.
Paid for by Terry Yates for Judge Campaign in Voluntary Compliance with the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act
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Richard Hightower
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FOR JUSTICE 1ST COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT, PLACE 8 Since 1876, my family has served Texas as Judge, Legislator, District Attorney, County Clerk, Sheriff, Texas Ranger, School Board Member and Educator. I am running for public office to have the opportunity to give back to my community.
I am honored to ask for your vote in my campaign for Justice, First Court of Appeals, Place 8. I have been a licensed Texas lawyer for more than 35 years practicing in both large and small counties and in large and small firms. It would be my privilege to bring my experience and sound judgment to the First Court of Appeals. I grew up in Livingston, Texas, and am a 1974 graduate of Livingston High School. My father was an attorney and District Attorney and my mother a school teacher. I am a fourth generation Baylor graduate, receiving my B.A. degree (English) in 1978. Following in my father’s and great grandfather’s footsteps, I received my Baylor law degree in 1980, where I was a member of the Baylor Law Review. I began my law career in Longview, Texas, working with T. John Ward, who later became a Federal District Judge in the Eastern District of Texas. While working with Judge Ward, we handled many different types of law suits across East Texas, including one case that eventually made its way to the United States Supreme Court. In 1986, I moved to Houston and became a trial attorney in the state-wide law firm of Brown McCarroll & Oaks Hartline. In 2000, I opened my own law practice, Richard F. Hightower, P.C. where I focused on the
representation of public school districts. I am an active member of the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Council of School Attorneys. I am also a certified mediator. I am rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell and have been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine. I have one son, who attended Houston public schools. I enjoyed serving on the site-based management committee of Lamar High School, an Assistant Little League Baseball Coach, and as a Parent Chair of the Pershing Middle School Boys Lacrosse Team. Since 1876, my family has served Texas as Judge, Legislator, District Attorney, County Clerk, Sheriff, Texas Ranger, School Board Member and Educator. I am running for public office to have the opportunity to give back to my community. I feel I can best serve by being elected to the First Court of Appeals. If elected, it will be my responsibility to follow the law. I believe that judges should apply the law in a manner that is consistent and fair. I will work hard to earn the respect of those who appear before me. Please vote for Richard Hightower for First Court of Appeals, Place 8 in the March 6 Democratic Primary and the November General Election.
RICHARD HIGHTOWER FOR JUSTICE, 1ST COURT OF APPEALS, PLACE 8
Pol. Adv. Paid for by Richard Hightower for Justice Campaign. Allen Hightower, Campaign Treasurer, in voluntary compliance with the limits of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act.
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2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
Dr. Joseph R. Willie II FOR JUSTICE 14TH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT, PLACE 3
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I will bring a sense of compassion, fairness and logic when deciding the outcome of an appeal.
Greetings, Grimes County. My name is Dr. Joseph R. Willie, II and I am asking for your vote to become the next Justice, Place 3 on the 14th Court of Appeals by winning the upcoming Democratic Primary. The 14th Court of Appeals reviews the decisions of the County Courts, County Courts at Law and the District Courts, by appeal or by writ, from Grimes County and nine other surrounding counties. I am a graduate of Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1978, a graduate of the University of Texas Dental Branch-Houston with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1982 and a graduate of the South Texas College of Law with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1991. As a retired Navy Captain, I have 32 years of military service, both active duty and reserve. I have more than 27 years of appellate law practice, both civil and criminal. I have litigated over 100 appeals and, with that experience, I have over 25 published opinions that the various Federal and Texas Courts of Appeals have chosen to be placed in the permanent law records as legal precedent. In the United States Navy, I was appointed as JAGMAM Investigator and Legal Advisor to the Commanding Officer of the 4th Dental
Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group. I am admitted to practice and have practiced before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Texas, the Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Eleventh, Armed Forces, Veterans Claims and the various Courts of Appeals in Texas. If elected, I will ensure that a trial court follows the statutes promulgated by the Texas Legislature, the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the Texas Penal Code and the applicable case law. As an appellate justice, I am obligated to make sure that the laws and the facts are to be applied fairly and justly and that they are to be implemented without bias and/or prejudice, regardless of national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation and/or an individual’s station in life. I will bring a sense of compassion, fairness and logic when deciding the outcome of an appeal. If elected, I would also bring a historic and diverse prospective to the 14th Court of Appeals, which has never had an African-American Justice to sit on that court since its inception in 1967. I am asking for your vote on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. I have the experience and qualifications that Grimes County is looking for in a Justice on the 14th Court of Appeals.
★EXPERIENCE★ ★EDUCATION★ ★TRAINING★
EARLY VOTE: FEBRUARY 20TH MARCH 2ND ELECTION DAY: MARCH 6, 2018 Political ad paid for by Dr. Joseph R. Willie Campaign-Christine Willie (Treasurer)
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Mike Pederson
“
FOR GRIMES COUNTY JUDGE
My main goal will be to once-and-for-all put our roads at the top of the list. Good roads are an asset that benefits each and every citizen, improves our tax base, and helps promote an image of class that we have been lacking for as long as I can remember.
Putting Grimes County First The Past. The Present. The Future.
ELECT
MIKE
for
PEDERSON common sense, conservative leadership
Grimes County Judge Pol. Adv. Paid for by Mike Pederson, Candidate for Grimes County Judge.
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My name is Mike Pederson and I am running for the position of Grimes County Judge. The county judge is responsible for running the business end of the county. There are no longer any magisterial duties associated with this position, as we now have a new county judge at law position to handle the judicial responsibilities. This means that, if elected, I will be able to dedicate all of my time and efforts to managing county business. In that regard, I am a proven businessman who has a vision for the future of Grimes County. I own three small businesses in Navasota and I have three children and three grandchildren, all of whom live in Navasota. I myself grew up in and around Navasota and I consider my childhood here to have been one of a truly story-book nature. I want the same opportunity that we all enjoyed here for my descendants in what was once known as The Land of Milk and Honey, a county identity that I’d like to restore. By way of my history here, I am an eighth generation Grimes County boy and my roots here are deep. My fourth great uncle, James Buchannan, fought and died at the Alamo and his family received several land grants from Stephen F. Austin; we’ve been here ever since. My great uncle, Gerald Fahey, was the County Judge here from 1946-1950 after the war. He had an open door policy at his office and, if elected, I pledge to have the same. I realize that our county is growing and we can no longer stop it from doing so. I believe strongly that, as County Judge, I will be able to manage that growth while still preserving our rural values, rural ways of doing business and our rural way of life - the very things and reasons others find so attractive about our county. Growth and preservation of our way of life are not mutually exclusive concepts to me. I further recognize that our low tax rates are equally attractive to both our citizens and potential future citizens. In order to preserve our current rates, I would be proactive in finding creative ways to finance the business of the county that do not involve reaching deeper into your pockets. I believe in public/private part-
nerships and I see many opportunities for the county to work with its citizenry to achieve our goals. My main goal will be to once-and-forall put our roads at the top of the list. Good roads are an asset that benefits each and every citizen, improves our tax base, and helps promote an image of class that we have been lacking for as long as I can remember. Without good roads, we cannot effectively provide emergency services, or any services for that matter. Roads are job one. Job two is to prepare our system to accept the 4,000 new residents that are predicted to move into our county by 2020. These people will need county services that we do not currently have in the budget. Along with that growth comes the construction of new subdivisions that will require us to have regulations in place that currently do not exist. I will work diligently to facilitate the construction of new infrastructure that we can be proud of. As a businessman, and with my background in subdivision planning, platting, construction and management, I know that these things do not come easily and developers are often hesitant to adhere to such regulations. I propose a restructuring of the position for Subdivision Coordinator to work closely with the department heads at OEM and Road/Bridge to develop platting, street, drainage and utility guidelines for our county - and enforce them. I will be a hands-on, get-it-done, working county judge. Job three is to find a way to pay for the things our beautiful county is in need of: roads, animal shelter, garbage service, emergency service upgrades, parks, and a new courthouse. Within my vision for the county lies the very source of the funding we need to accomplish these goals without bankrupting the system and expecting our grandchildren to pay for it. I will recruit and encourage businesses and industry to come in along with the population growth so that we may get ahead and stay ahead. If you elect me, Mike Pederson, I will pledge to put Grimes County first and do my best to make it great again, not just for a select few, but for each and every one of you!
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
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Joe Fauth III
FOR GRIMES COUNTY JUDGE
JOE FAUTH III
Politically speaking, Joe is a strong Christian Conservative. He has served as Chairman of the GCRP for 9 years, chaired 4 County Conventions, chaired one CD 8 Convention, attended 4 State Conventions and was elected to attend the National Convention in 2016.
Joe Fauth is a Management Consultant specializing in organizational learning and people development. He has an extensive training background and has conducted workshops and programs in a variety of areas: management development, sales and marketing, self-directed teams, and total quality management through process improvement. Joe has not only facilitated workshops in over thirty (30) countries, on six (6) continents around the world, he has also taught labor negotiations and human resource management at the college level. Joe also helps Companies with their Strategic Planning and Executive Coaching. After twenty-five (25) years in “Industry”, Joe started his own management development and consulting practice, FAUTH & ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL, INC. His career has allowed him to live and learn the functional areas of manufacturing and operations, sales and marketing, human resources management, and training and development. On the personal side, Joe is a native Texan and an Eagle Scout. He has served in the United States Air Force and the 147th Fighter Group of the Texas Air National Guard. Part of Joe’s “life plan” has been to give back some portion of his “earnings” and “learnings” to those people and places with which he comes
Vote for
into contact. In the past, he has been actively involved with Little League Baseball, Boy Scouts, United Way, Community Associations, and the YMCA. Currently, he is actively involved with his church. Joe is also a lifetime member and committeeman of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where he serves on the “Speakers” Committee. In addition to the above, Joe is a “Charter Member” of the Cowboy Heritage Association. Recent updates include serving as an elected official in Grimes County, Texas, and serves on the N.I.S.D. Education Foundation Board. Joe married his high school sweetheart, Sherry, and they have two (2) adult sons. They live on and office from their working cattle ranch where they raise purebred Santa Gertrudis Cattle. Joe has designed and built an on-site training facility that allows clients to come to the ranch for developmental workshops or strategic planning. The ranch and conference center are located near Plantersville, Texas, which is less than one-hour northwest of Houston’s Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Politically speaking, Joe is a strong Christian Conservative. He has served as Chairman of the GCRP for 9 years, chaired 4 County Conventions, chaired one CD 8 Convention, attended 4 State Conventions and was elected to attend the National Convention in 2016.
GRIMES COUNTY JUDGE
Joe is a Christian Conservative working hard at... � Preserving our past � Pursuing our future � Maintaining a safe environment � Staying focused on the County’s Strategic & Economic Development � Working hard for you & having fun doing it.
Election Day is March 6, 2018
PLEASE VOTE Political ad paid for by Joe Fauth III Grimes County Judge
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In January 2017, I was honored to be appointed the Grimes County District Clerk by the district judges that represent our area. I was proud to accept the position that my predecessor, Gay Wells, vaCOUNTY DISTRICT CLERK cated upon her retirement. Prior to my accepting this position, I worked for the district clerk’s office as a As technology has imcriminal clerk for 10 years. During my proved tremendously during tenure, I had the opportunity to learn the responsibilities of the district clerk and the my tenure with the district value that each of the members of our staff clerk’s office, my goal is to have in upholding the standards of our continue to utilize our curoffice. Since the time that I assumed the rent resources to provide position, I have built a staff that supports the public with easier acnot only the responsibilities of our office, cess to our stored records but also, the vision of serving our county and files. The growth of our better. I am on the ballot for the upcoming March Primary and am blessed to be uncounty has corresponded with the growth of technol- opposed during this election. I would like to ask for your vote as an endorsement to ogy and it is vital that our our staff and office. office grows as well. I was born in Bryan, Texas, to Marion and Angie Scarmardo. I have been married to John LeFlore for 44 years and we have three children, 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. We moved to Grimes County in 1975 and immediately became involved in the community. I take great pride in the fact that my family was formed in Grimes County and that my husband and I have been active in this community for more than 40 years. Prior to working for the district clerk’s office, I worked in the title industry for more than 30 years. This experience provided me the foundation to seamlessly transition to a position in the district clerk’s office in 2007. The district clerk serves as clerk and custodian of all the records for the district courts. My office indexes and secures all court records, collects filing fees, and handles funds held in litigation and money awarded to minors. We also coordinate the jury selection process and manage court registry funds. Our office assists two district judges, Albert M. McCaig Jr. and Donald Kramer; CPS Judge P.K. Riter; Attorney General Judge Hubacek; and County Court at Law Judge Tuck McLain. Our civil department answers numerous phone calls and assists multiple requests from attorneys each day as they file
Diane LeFlore
FOR GRIMES
“
COMMITMENT SERVICE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
DIANE LEFLORE FOR
GRIMES COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK Political advertisement paid for by Diane LeFlore.
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their paperwork in our district. This department processes all paperwork pertaining to a criminal matter from the original indictment to the final judgement and everything in between. In our tax department, we open files when a lawsuit begins and continue the paper trail until the property is sold by tax attorneys at the steps of the courthouse. Our department also sends approximately 8,000 jury notices per year or the 24 to 30 juries serving our judges. As technology has improved tremendously during my tenure with the district clerk’s office, my goal is to continue to utilize our current resources to provide the public with easier access to our stored records and files. The growth of our county has corresponded with the growth of technology and it is vital that our office meets that growth. This is my primary goal. To date, we have finished digitizing and placing most of our records into our computer system. Our next goal is to provide our records online for public viewing. Currently, we offer viewing of records in our office, but it is my goal to have most records available online for remote access. The continued growth of not only Grimes County, but also of technology dictates that we must do our best to provide the public with any and all information that we can remotely. The ability to digitalize the enormous amount of paperwork that my office processes will only enhance our ability to serve the public. I take great pride in the fact the Grimes County District Clerk’s office is managed in a professional way and that our entire staff is conscious of our duties to assist the public and all entities that we serve. Our department is staffed with skilled servants and we all take pride in our responsibilities. Please feel free to contact me at any time, if you need assistance. I would like to thank each and every citizen in our county for allowing me the opportunity to serve as Grimes County District Clerk. I have done my best to uphold the position and I am honored to have the opportunity to continue in this role. Please go to the polls March 6, 2018, and vote for me, Diane LeFlore, District Clerk of Grimes County.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
My name is Janice Trant. Five generations of my family have been active in business, community, and county affairs. I am a 1968 graduate of Navasota. I received an Associate’s Degree from Blinn College, then attended Sam Houston State University. While attending Blinn, I worked at Navasota Livestock, until I started working for R. A. Patout Jr., CPA in 1972. In 1977, I started working for John Haynie Stoneham, CPA, in Navasota and stayed more than 30 years. In June 1980, I married H. B. “Bud” Trant Jr. We have one son, Jim-Bob Allen Trant. He is a 2004 graduate of Texas A&M University. He married Lauren Elizabeth Graves, who is also an A&M graduate. Both have degrees in Animal Science, specializing in Genetics and are doing well in the Registered Brahman business. Lauren teaches science at Grace Lutheran School in Brenham, where their children, Trace and Emma, attend school. In 2007, I began working for Grimes County as an Assistant Auditor under the supervision of Sidney “Buck” LaQuey, CPA. He taught me about county government, so different from the public-sector accounting. In 2008, I received Government Financial Officers Association training and continue to be a member. In 2009, I was asked by the Republican Party Chairman, Malcolm Green, to be a candidate for Grimes County Treasurer. I talked it over with family and friends and decided to give it a try. I am not a politician. By the Grace of God and more than 60% of the votes I became your
treasurer, and have been serving since 2011. As your treasurer, my office works diligently with all county departments, employees and citizens with an “open door” policy. Our website has been updated to promote transparency. Two assistant treasurers work with me, Payroll Manager Sinda Phelps and Accounts Payable Manager Heather Garcia. We work together handling payroll, accounts payables, accounts receivables, investments, as well as all reports using electronic reporting. All documents are scanned into our systems, meeting records management requirements. As your treasurer, I attended the County Investment Academy in 2012 and received Investment Officer Certification. Annually, I attend county treasurers’ continuing education seminars and tax workshops. I am a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Anderson, serving as Trustee; Auxiliary VFW Post 4006 in Navasota, serving as Treasurer; Grimes County Poor Boys; American Brahman Breeders Association; Grimes County Republican Women; Texas and National Treasurers’ Association; and Government Financial Officers Association. My interests include country music, dancing, painting and sketching, horses and cattle, but most of all my family, friends and church. Thanks, Grimes County! I would appreciate your vote and support, March 6, while continuing to work hard as your County Treasurer. Always say a prayer!
Janice Trant
FOR GRIMES COUNTY TREASURER
“
As your treasurer, my office works diligently with all county departments, employees and citizens with an “open door” policy.
RE-ELECT
JANICE TRANT for GRIMES COUNTY TREASURER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
CONSERVATIVE, TRUSTED, EXPERIENCED, LEADERSHIP
I would appreciate your support and vote on March 6th. Political Ad Paid for By Janice Trant
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David Tullos
FOR GRIMES COUNTY COMMISSIONER PCT. 2
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Moving forward, we need a commissioners court that is full-time, on-the-job, meeting these changing needs. The old way of doing business won’t work in the future.
VOTE DAVID TULLOS for GRIMES COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCT 2 REASONS TO VOTE FOR ME:
• Preserve and protect landowner property rights • BETTER ROADS! • Expand drainage and flood control capacities • Enhance emergency and support services • Community participation in local planning • Establish a county animal shelter • BETTER ROADS! • Increase economic development • Activate the Grimes County 391 Commission • Restore fiscal accountability • Town hall meetings throughout precinct • BETTER ROADS!
THE FUTURE OF GRIMES COUNTY...
VOTE
FOR GRANDPA! POL. ADV. PAID FOR BY KRISTINE TULLOS O’CONNOR CAMPAIGN TREASURER
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Hi, my name is David Tullos, I am a proud father of three incredible daughters, with three awesome grandchildren. My parents are Dave Tullos and Dorothy (Thompson) Tullos. I am a fourth generation resident of Grimes County, living in Plantersville, in the same home that my grandparents, (Uncle) Charlie and (Aunt) Hattie Thompson lived in for more than half a century. I am a private consultant, with an office in the Freeman Tullos office building, also in Plantersville. My family has operated a small cow/calf and hay operation on the same land for the last 100 years. Grimes County is poised on the brink of transformative change. In every direction, rapid growth is on our doorstep. To the east, Magnolia, Montgomery, and the Conroe/ Woodlands area are growing. To the west, Bryan/College Station is booming. Southward, Houston continues to expand in every direction. The secret is out, something we’ve known all along, Grimes County is a great place to live! It is a time of great opportunity, and a time for deliberate thought and planning. What is the best way to embrace, plan and prepare for the future while protecting and preserving the identity and culture that makes Grimes County such a special place to live? Moving forward, we need a commissioners court that is full-time, on-the-job, meeting these changing needs. The old way of doing business won’t work in the future. Through my involvement as coordinator of the Grimes County Citizen Advisory Group (GCCAG), I have been blessed to be actively engaged for several years in a number of activities that will define our area in the future, including State Highway 249, the Grimes County Subregional Planning Commission, the high-speed rail proposal, and the county strategic planning sessions, as a few examples. This interaction with residents and landowners on these various projects throughout the county has provided some unique opportunities for networking with county citizens, gaining their input on a variety of issues, and working together in seeking solutions. This is the same sort of community collaboration that I will facilitate as county commissioner to develop sensible, effective, long-term approaches to planning our county government activity for the next 10 years. As I have traveled around the county,
when given the opportunity, I ask the question, “What is the most important issue a new commissioner should address if elected?” Overwhelmingly, the answer is better roads! If elected, I will work to improve our county road system. With more than 600 miles of county road system to maintain, 400 miles of it unpaved, our county road and bridge department does a great job with limited resources. Grimes County R&B needs more prioritized funding for both road maintenance and for ditching/drainage improvements. We also need to develop a comprehensive, multi-year road and transportation plan with some flexible timelines for road upgrade projections. As a rural county trapped between three rapid growth centers, our Grimes County land is a valuable asset. Over the last four years, landowners in our area have dealt with a toll road, a 345 Kv electrical transmission line, a pipeline, and a high-speed rail proposal. More is coming. Interstate 14 is moving forward, potentially passing through Carlos, Roans Prairie and Shiro. Our area will continue to be the target of new highways, electrical transmission lines, pipelines, etc. More needs to be done to protect the rural landowner. Property rights need to be protected. I have a multi-year record of engagement with these projects on behalf of Grimes County residents and landowners. In addition to GCCAG, I am the founder and administrator of STOP Texas High Speed Rail, and was chairman of the 249 committee for the GCSRPC. As commissioner, I will continue to advocate in protection of local property rights. I will also push for activation of the Grimes County Subregional Planning Commission (GCSRPC), establishing a means for citizens and area governments to interact in the development of social and infrastructure plans for this region. As a final note, let me say what a fantastic experience it has been to participate in this election campaign. Serving as an elected official is a privilege and an honor, distinctions worth remembering here in election season. The opportunity to be part of a team that prepares the way forward for Grimes County presents some exciting challenges. I am ready to do my part. With your help, we can make a difference on election day. Thank you and God bless!
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
I am a lifelong resident of Grimes County. After receiving my undergrad and masters degrees from Sam Houston State University, I served as an educator in three of our county schools for 30 years, prior to my retirement in 2003. I am an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Community and the proud father of my son, David Jr. Growing up on a dairy farm, I was taught responsibility and a strong work ethic at a young age. I believe in the small town values that each of us holdS dear and wish to maintain those values for the future generations of our county. I am a conservative individual dedicated to proven results obtained through teamwork, integrity and accountability. I believe that Grimes County can take advantage of the growth coming at
us from all directions, yet maintain the charm of rural Americana. I am vehemently opposed to the high speed rail project and have fought diligently, along with other members of court, in that opposition. I have strived to keep the promises of my campaign in 2014, such as receiving approval for drainage equipment and a trained crew for Road and Bridge; developing plans and development for our upcoming county animal rescue facility; sought and obtained reimbursement funding from Centerpoint, CrossTexas and FEMA for the use of and damages to our county roads in excess of $1 million in additional revenue; and kept the tax rate the same within the past three years. Vote for continued solutions, integrity and accountability!
David Dobyanski
FOR GRIMES COUNTY COMMISSIONER PCT. 2
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I am a conservative individual dedicated to proven results obtained through teamwork, integrity and accountability. I believe that Grimes County can take advantage of the growth coming at us from all directions, yet maintain the charm of rural Americana.
RE-ELECT DAVID E. DOBYANSKI GRIMES COUNTY COMMISSIONER PCT. 2
“Vote to Keep Experience and Integrity in Office”
Moving Grimes County forward while maintaining small town values! Property rights advocate in opposition of Texas High Speed Rail and 249 toll road. • Kept tax rate the same for the last three years while providing vast improvements throughout the precinct. • Pushed and received approval for a trained drainage crew for Road and Bridge department; working for additional drainage crew. • Instrumental in developing Grimes County Animal Rescue facility.
• Sought and received improvement revenue from Centerpoint Energy and Cross Texas on power line project in excess of $1 million. • Working to get a dedicated weights officer for the county. • Co-Chair for Citizen Driven Strategic Planning for the County.
VOTE MARCH 6 IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY Political Advertisement Paid for by David E. Dobyanski
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Mark Laughlin
FOR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE PCT. 3
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Qualified, fair and honest – I would be honored to have your support in the upcoming election.
My name is Mark Laughlin. I am a Republican candidate for Justice of the Peace Precinct 3. I have been a resident of Grimes County for 18 years. My wife, Kathy, and I, as well as several of our children, make Grimes County our home. I retired as senior warden of the Wallace Pack Unit in 2006. During my career, I supervised a staff of more than 300 employees and was responsible for an annual operations budget of
$1 million. I have also served as a Reserve Deputy with Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and Jail Administrator here in Grimes County. I feel this experience qualifies me for this position. I would be honored to have your support in the upcoming election. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Mark Laughlin
ELECT
MARK LAUGHLIN for
Justice of the Peace þ Republican Candidate
PRECINCT 3
þ Grimes County Resident
þ Reserved Deputy with Dawson Co. Sheriff ’s Office
þ Retired Senior Warden of Wallace Pack Unit
þ Grimes County Jail Administrator
QUALIFIED • FAIR • HONEST Pol. Adv. Paid for by Mark Laughlin Campaign Fund • 11063 FM 3090 Anderson, TX 77830
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2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
My name is Andria Bender and I am currently your appointed District Attorney in Grimes County, Texas. I was appointed to the District Attorney position October 27, 2017, by Governor Greg Abbott to fill the unexpired term of Tuck Moody McLain upon his appointment as judge to the newly created County Court at Law in Grimes County. I am asking for your vote in the Republican primary election on March 6, 2018, for the position of Grimes County District Attorney. I am highly qualified to serve as your District Attorney due to my experience of more than 20 years as a prosecutor. I served the citizens of Grimes County as your Assistant District Attorney for 15 years, from November 1999 until November 2014. I was then recruited by the Walker County District Attorney’s Office to set up their formal grand jury and misdemeanor intake division, where I served for two years, then served as the felony Assistant District Attorney in the 12th Judicial District Court, which also serves Grimes County. Prior to coming to work for the Grimes County District Attorney’s Office, I worked as a prosecutor for two years for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. During my 20 years of experience as a prosecutor, I have tried every kind of case including: murder, aggravated sexual assaults of children, indecency with a child, sexual assaults aggravated robberies, aggravated assaults, injury to a child, drug cases, assault family violence, driving while intoxicated cases, burglaries, bail jumping, and even Justice of the Peace cases dealing with traffic tickets. I have an excellent track record of convictions in trial, as well as, obtaining lengthy prison sentences. I believe in continuing the tradition of “you do the crime in Grimes County, you do the time.” In addition, I have prepared and presented hundreds of cases to grand juries during my career as a prosecutor. Moreover, I have more than 20 years of experience in handling the appeals from trial convictions in Grimes, Walker, and Orange counties. I have developed excellent working relationships with the law enforcement
community in Grimes County over the years. In fact, when the possibility of a vacancy in the District Attorney’s position arose, I was contacted by multiple members of law enforcement to put my name in for the Governor’s appointment. I am honored to be supported by our law enforcement community. Officers in Grimes County know I am a phone call or text away, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and my office has an open door to discuss cases, seek advice, or help draft/review search warrants. In addition, I have excellent working relationships with the judges, their staff, and both clerks’ offices that serve Grimes County. This is extremely important in making sure the criminal justice system works as it is intended. Furthermore, I have the respect of the defense bar that practice in Grimes County. On a personal note, I am a resident of Richards, Texas, and our family is excited to be in the planning process of building a new home our 23 acres in the Whitehall area. I have been blessed to be married for 26 years to my husband, Gary Bender, who is a sergeant with the Houston Police Department. We have three teenage sons, Reid, Grayson, and Gabriel. Our oldest, Reid, is pursuing his certification in air conditioning & heating with goals of having his own home construction business one day. Our middle and youngest sons, Grayson and Gabriel, are students at Richards ISD where they play basketball, run track, and play baseball. I graduated from Nederland High School in Nederland, Texas in 1988, graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, in 1992, and graduated from South Texas College of Law in 1995. I have been licensed to practice law since December 1995. I am asking for your vote March 6, 2018, in the Republican primary for District Attorney. I am honored to be serving the Grimes County community I love as District Attorney. I know this community and I promise to be accessible to citizens. I also promise to always seek justice, to make the right decision for the right reasons in each and every case.
Andria Bender
FOR GRIMES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
“
I know this community and I promise to be accessible to citizens. I also promise to always seek justice, to make the right decision for the right reasons in each and every case.
VOTE
ANDRIA BENDER Grimes County
DISTRICT ATTORNEY March 6, 2018
Republican Primary Paid Pol. Ad. by Andria Bender
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Tim Mahoney
FOR COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
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We need effective options. We need state leaders that care about the future of our families and where we choose to live.
Tim
Mahoney
For Comptroller
Paid Political Ad. by Tim Mahoney
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With a background in public policy and law, Tim Mahoney understands that there has to be a systemic change in how Texas engages citizens in our economic efforts. And we need to change the face of healthy Civic Engagement measures so Texas no longer measures in the bottom half of the United States. The Straus Institute recently came out with a new report on Texas Civic Health. The report demonstrates that we are failing in three of the four major measures. The only positive indicator was that Texas ranked 24th in doing favors for neighbors, one measure of the Social Connection indicator. This is the hopeful indicator, and can be seen in the seemingly spontaneous volunteer efforts that resulted in the small boat flotilla that rushed to save many Harris County and Gulf Coast residents as Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas. We just have to make the connections with this natural neighborliness of Texans to the other failing Civic Indicators referenced in the Report: Political Participation; Social Connectedness; and Civic Involvement, where Texas ranked in the very bottom half of the United States. See: www.moody.utexas. edu/centers/strauss/texas-civic-health-index. What planning was done for Hurricane Harvey? For options, we need effective forecasts. We need effective options. We need state leaders that care about the future of our families and where we choose to live. The Comptroller’s estimates have been as much about politics as economics. Estimating future revenue (one of the primary duties of the Comptroller during legislative sessions) becomes even more precarious with the uncertainty of our extractive industries. The more the uncertainty, the poorer the predictions. We need to start building coherent local/regional economies. Our investment strategies, including the Rainy Day Fund, make little sense. The Texas celebration of our new state-sponsored gold depository is a needless cost benefitting only the very wealthy. Texas has been, and is, poorly managed. The mantra of cutting taxes, suing the Feds, has been a diversion. In the wake of Harvey, we would have suffered more without the Feds. What the future of the Feds interest and efforts are is even more uncertain. The Comptroller’s office could provide better public data dispersed interactively to every
region; we must find new directions for a more engaged Texas. Finding common cause is something that the current state leadership seems to be less and less interested in. Divide and conquer does not good public policy make. We could use the incredible data from the Comptroller’s office to have on-going information that improves family health (including intentionally lowering maternal mortality rates, the highest in the nation and much of the developing world), educational success and cost, and social mobility. It is essential that we understand that the success of Democrats in November will be measured in the success that we have in creating collaborative networks all around the state. There are forces engaging and rallying local citizens in Texas counties, bringing together local candidates and voters. This is the kind of thing that makes my heart sing, and I want to be a part of this effort! I have been building structured organizing efforts for 40 years, from journalism efforts under Hightower when he was the editor of the Texas Observer, to exploring building community-based movements when I received my Master Degree in public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. My Master’s Report demonstrated that notions of the political spectrum are flawed; we are either moving forward with a political culture that is empowering local communities or away from that notion. When we have a state culture that is in open war with Texas cities, that is something that is incredibly unhealthy, and moving away from empowering local communities. Better information from the Texas Comptroller’s office could make that healthy connection with the election of a Comptroller that has actual public policy training. I have that training, both from my master’s training from the LBJ School, UT-Austin, as an attorney, and as a community planner, and I ask you for your support. For more information, see the following website, and please spread the word: Tim in Lubbock: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCjG86KuNd05-bos_bm7OQeA For more information, please contact the campaign at 512-566-5224, our website at: www.tim4comptroller.com/, or email: CommunityTexas@gmail.com.
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition
GRIMES COUNTY ELECTION DATES WHO, WHAT, WHEN
MARCH 6, 2018 – PRIMARY ELECTION
• One Democrat and Republican candidate is chosen among those who filed by 6 p.m. Dec. 11, 2017 to represent the party on the November 6, 2018, Uniform Election ballot. Winners in primary elections in Texas are determined by majority vote. In the case that no candidate receives more than the 50 percent of votes cast, the top two candidates proceed to a runoff election scheduled for May 22, 2018.
MAY 5, 2018 – UNIFORM ELECTION
• The uniform election date in May of an even-numbered year is a date in which many local political subdivisions, such as cities, school districts, and water districts have their regular general elections for members of their governing bodies or special elections to fill vacancies. Grimes County will have a number of local elections May 5, 2018. •City of Navasota City Council – Position 1, Position 2 & Position 3 •Navasota ISD School Board – Position 4 & Position 5 •Town of Anderson Board of Aldermen – Three at large positions •Anderson-Shiro CISD School Board – Position 4 & Position 5 •City of Bedias City Council – Four at large positions •City of Iola City Council – Three at large positions •Iola ISD School Board – Position 1, Position 2, Position 5, Position 6 & Position 7
MAY 5, 2018 – SPECIAL ELECTION FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 13
• A special election has been order by Governor Greg Abbott to fill the unexpired term of former State Representative Leighton Schubert, which ends Dec. 31, 2018. The deadline for candidates to file for the May 5, 2018, special election is March 5, 2018. District 13 comprises of Austin, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, Grimes, Lavaca and Washington.
MAY 22, 2018 – PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION
• If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary, which in Texas equates to 50 percent of the votes plus at least one additional vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a primary runoff May 22, 2018.
NOV. 6, 2018 – UNIFORM ELECTION
• The candidates who won their respective party’s primary will run against each other in the Nov. 6, 2018, Uniform Election for the positions listed on page 2 of this special section. The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018. The first day of early voting is Monday, Oct. 22, 2018. The last day to apply for ballot by mail is Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. The last day of early voting is Friday, Nov. 2, 2018.
23
PLACES TO VOTE BANKHEAD
14 0 RO AD TY
COUNTY
CO UN HIGHW AY 90 STATE
COUNTY ROAD 164
9
2 23
FM 1486
TY AD RO 7 21
PEARL
5 FM 2
SUM MER
62
FM
T Y RO AD 21
4
14 86
AME
LIA
BLUEBONN ET
L SKI HIL
FM 1774
ASKEW SMITH
10 WAY IGH
5
14
PINEBROOK
TE H STA COUNTY RO AD
6
203
GLASS COUNTY ROAD 302
HICKORY CLARK PAPPAS RO AD COUNTY ROAD 325 RODEO EY 32 RIL 4 CHRIS
K MILL CREE
304 COUNTY ROAD
FM 362
2
8
313 COUNTY ROAD
ROAD 30
FM 2988 COUNTY ROAD 305
ROAD 20
4
FM 2445
407
COUNTY
ICH
KOWIS
4
MEGAN
N M AI
ROAD 11 9
114 COUNTY RO AD
103 COUNTY ROAD
FM 2 4
CE
BEDIAS
R
D 22
UN CO
SKI
ROAD
6 WAY
N
FM 122 7
HE
ROA
TY
AD RO
9 281 FM
COUN
2 22
TY COUN
COUNTY
CO FM UN TY
12-Salem
NT Y
9
AD RO 405 E JOE
6 44
12
15
11-Singleton
UN CO
KIM
OAD
TY
5
10-Keith
TC SA
COU
TY
YR
UN CO
AD RO
7-Bedias 8-Shiro
146
0 262 FM
RI
N
149 FM
UN CO
UNT CO
IGH
3 6
55 34
9-Richards
H ATE 403 ST
White Hall Polling Place 5629 Rockin L Lane, Navasota, TX 77868
5-Courtney
FM
15 White Hall
4-Plantersville
VE RIVER HA
3-Navasota West
379 LE FM AL
2-Iola
ROAD
LISH
90
AD RO
1-Anderson
L HIL
FM 149
TY
AREA
6-Navasota East
24
401
UN CO
vtpoly
Todd Mission 21716 F.M. 1774, Plantersville, TX 77363
Navasota Center 101 Stadium Drive, Navasota, TX 77868
NT
D OA YR
Legend
14 Todd Mission
ranch Early Voting B
9
L MAR
0 FM 3
U CO
Grimes County Go-Texan Building 5220 F.M. 3455, Navasota, TX 77868
Grimes County Courthouse 100 Main St., Anderson, TX 77830
8
AD 17 T Y RO
LUTHE
12 Salem
Early Voting
6
177 Y ROAD COUNT
S LA
Singleton Community Center 13301 Hwy. 90 N., Bedias, TX 77831
T Y RO AD 17
STATE HIGHWAY 30
/
NT Y
11 COUN
1
ENG
COU
NEFF
D
11 Singleton
Keith Community Center 8808 C.R. 172, Iola, TX 77861
BY
EN
10 Keith
Richards Fire Station 1136 F.M. 149 E., Richards, TX 77873
3
190
Shiro Civic Center 9594 Volunteer Ave., Shiro, TX 77876
10
7
AD COUNTY RO
8 Shiro
2
YER
DS
Bedias Civic Center 3652 Main Street, Bedias, TX 77831
D 16
N LA
7 Bedias
ROA
OAD 12
COUN
Navasota Center 101 Stadium Drive, Navasota, TX 77868
NT Y
TY R
COU NT Y ROA COU D 12 NT Y 6 ROA D 12 7
DEBBIE
6 Navasota
COU
COUN
ISO
Plantersville Town Hall 11335 Lodge Lane, Plantersville, TX 77363 Courtney Community Center 16162 6th St., Navasota, TX 77868
9 Richards
2
96 FM 16
RR
Progressive Center 615 W. Virginia St., Navasota, TX 77868
5 Courtney
FM 1696
COUNTY ROAD 132
HA
4 Plantersville
Iola Community Center 7264 Main St., Iola, TX 77861
39
3 Navasota
Courthouse Annex 114 W. Buffington, Anderson, TX 77830 FM
2 Iola
GRIMES COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS
N
1 Anderson
Precinct Location
JO H
Precinct Number Precinct Name
14-Todd Mission 15-White Hall 0
1.25 2.5
5
7.5
Miles 10
2018 Meet The Candidates Special Edition