Will Ronnie Run?
Will Ronnie Run?
The quadrennial guessing game is in full swing: will Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle run again or at long last hang up his spurs? The inscrutable Democrat, a former state lawmaker who was elected to his current post the same year Jimmy Carter won the White House, has confounded would-be successors before. But speculation about his retirement has intensified in recent weeks.
First, Earle turned 65 in February of this year, a traditional milestone for those looking to kick back and take a well-earned rest. Next, Paul Burka headlined a Texas Monthly blog post last month, “Ronnie Earle to Retire as Travis County DA,” which seemed pretty straightforward.
Not so fast. As with all things Ronnie, however, it wasn’t quite so simple. An endless profile by Earle expert Laylan Copelin in Da Man two weeks ago carried a non-committal headline (“Travis DA Earle has spent decades jousting with powerful, dangerous”) and stated flat out that he “is weighing whether to pursue criminals and investigate politicians for another four years or to retire.”
As many as three of Earle’s current deputies are signaling an interest in running if their boss doesn’t. The frontrunner has to be Rick Reed, a felony prosecutor who once served under legendary Dallas DAs Henry Wade and John Vance and has been with Earle for most of the past decade. Gary Cobb, another assistant DA who has been making the rounds of local Democratic clubs to say he wants to run, could offer a tough challenge. And so could Mindy Montford, the ex-Mrs. Brewster McCracken and daughter of former Texas Senator and Texas Tech Chancellor John Montford, currently AT&T’s senior vice president.
Meanwhile, Earle himself has reportedly told close friends he hopes to make his decision “by the end of November.” That’s today.
Posted on November 30, 2007 – 12:36 pm by APR
10 Responses to “Will Ronnie Run?”
Randy Leavitt, the First Assistant in the County Attorney’s office, is a name also been circulated. I had heard that Mindy Montford removed her name weeks ago from the short list.
Another name being propagated by a “kingmaker consultant” is Judge Jeanne Meurer.
I wouldn’t consider Rick Reed the frontrunner by any means. He’s campaigning with old literature from when he ran for DA in Dallas - lit stating he’s supported by the Dallas Sheriff’s Assn. Doesn’t look like he knows where he’s running.
Inside County bldgs (including the attorneys), Gary Cobb seems to be the likely favorite.
By Annabelle on Nov 30, 2007
I saw Cobb at a Democratic event and was impressed. I haven’t seen Reed but this news of his handing out literature from on old campaign isn’t encouraging.
By El Capitan on Dec 1, 2007
I looked into this race after hearing their presentations this week. Reed is a real Dem. He was our 1998 nominee for DA in Dallas Co. That’s where the old literature came from. In those days, Dallas was all Republican but he still fought the good fight for us. Gary’s recent appearances at the Dem. clubs are transparent — he’s an opportunist out to promote his political career. I never saw him at a political event or help with a political campaign before now. But he has an even bigger problem — he was the chief prosecutor against Lacresha Murray, an 11 year old girl charged with murder. Cobb used a coerced confession to convict. The case was later thrown out by a Republican appeals court. Murray is now suing in federal court. You can read Bob Herbert’s article in 11.22.98 NYT. My bet is Travis County voters aren’t going to forget that case. We insist that our elected officials be fair, especially when kids are involved. We’re not about to elect an opportunist who prosecuted a child for political gain. My money is on Earle not retiring but if he does, Reed gets my vote over Cobb.
By Mr. J. on Dec 1, 2007
Last October when Paul Burka first reported that Earle may be retiring, Burka wrote that “a DA is supposed to be the conscience of the community”, which brings up the issue of to what extent the conscience of the community in Travis County has changed since 1976.
I expect it has changed enough that any person who seeks the Democratic nomination for Travis County District Attorney in 2008 is going to have to seek the support of voters within a community whose conscience does not include support for the Texas death penalty. Of course, there are voters here who support the death penalty in theory, but there are many more whose theoretical support is trumped by their disgust with how the death penalty operates in Texas. And in Travis County, there is also a substantial bloc of voters, especially voters in the Democratic primary, who reject the death penalty both in theory and as it is practiced.
I am certain that a big majority of Democratic voters, if not all voters, in Travis County believe that the death penalty system in Texas is broken and warrants at least a four year moratorium on death penalty sentences, which is long enough to ensure that the Legislature can create a commission to study the death penalty system and implement reforms.
There is a precedent already in Texas for a district attorney to declare a county-wide moratorium on death penalty prosecutions. The Nueces County District Attorney’s Office put a hold on seeking the death penalty in capital murder cases last October in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case that questions whether lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment.
But I expect the people of Travis County know that the problems with the death penalty system are bigger and deeper than just the issue of how a lethal injection is administered. The Texas death penalty system is riddled with problems from start to finish, from the initial investigation and arrest, the process used to decide whether to seek the death penalty, the actual prosecution and defense of a capital trial, the appeals process and the manner in which an execution is finally carried out.
The most fundamental problem is perhaps an inability to distinguish with certainty whether a person is guilty or innocent. If a system can not ensure that the guilty are convicted and the innocent protected, then the death penalty should be off the table. The need for local prosecutors to impose a moratorium on death penalty prosecutions is particularly great because of the failure of state leaders to enact a moratorium and create a commission to study the death penalty. In fact, the state legislature would not even create an innocence commission.
I am sure that the people of Travis County are very comfortable with life without parole as an alternative to the death penalty. Any candidate who seeks to become district attorney in Travis County should pledge not to seek the death penalty. Life without parole is a valid alternative. In a contested Democratic primary in Travis County, a candidate who acknowledges that the death penalty system in Texas is riddled with problems and puts innocent people at risk of execution is likely to be rewarded with votes.
By Scott Cobb on Dec 20, 2007
Mr. Reed is not campaigning with old literature, as has been previously stated. I have one of the brochures he has passed out at various events around Austin, which reads as follows:
- Rick Reed is currently an Assistant District Attorney assigned to the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
- He is not currently a candidate for Travis County District Attorney, and he does not intend to become a candidate for that office unless and until the current officeholder, Ronnie Earle, should decide to retire.
- The attached card or brochure was prepared for distribution in connection with Rick Reed’s 1998 campaign for Dallas County District Attorney; it does not currently constitute “political advertising” as that term is defined by 251.001, TEX.ELEC.CODE.
- The endorsements noted on the attached card or brochure were made by the organizations noted thereon in connection with Rick Reed’s 1998 campaign for Dallas County District Attorney; consequently, its current distribution is not intended to suggest that the organizations named thereon have endorsed Rick Reed as a candidate for Travis County District Attorney.
attached to the card is a business card featuring a headshot of Mr. Reed, as well as his endorsements for the 1998 campaign.
By James White on Dec 28, 2007
*edit to last*
The literature Mr. Reed had been distributing was done so on the basis that his candidacy was not set in stone prior to Ronnie Earle’s decision to retire. I don’t think the intention was to represent his bid for the Travis County DA’s office, so much as it was to put his name and face out there.
By James White on Dec 28, 2007
Thank you, Mr. White, for correcting the record regarding the precise nature of the literature that my wife and I handed out more than a month ago. As you correctly pointed out in your original comment, the 1998 campaign cards that we handed out were attached to a fold-over card containing the explanation set forth in your comment.
Furthermore, as your final comments suggested, the only reason that we distributed the “composite literature” containing the 1998 campaign cards was to assist the people whom we met in remembering my name and face.
Obviously, if I’d had my druthers, we would have handed out new campaign cards instead. However, I knew that Texas campaign laws prohibit a candidate for District Attorney from making any campaign expenditures until he or she has filed the necessary paperwork with the County Clerk’s Office. Because I did not receive Ronnie Earle’s permission to file such paperwork until December 14, when he announced his decision to retire, I could not legally purchase new campaign cards (or any other campaign literature) before then.
Finally, I stopped handing out the cards in question as soon as I was informed that some recipients were confused by them. To borrow the title from one of William Shakespeare’s plays, Annabelle’s and El Capitan’s criticism was “much ado about nothing.” C’est la vie.
Rick Reed
Democratic Candidate for District Attorney
RickReed@ElectRickReed.com
www.ElectRickReed.com
By Rick Reed on Dec 30, 2007
I met Rick Reed at a reception this past December and had a brief one on one conversation with him. He did hand me a card that indicated that he was considering a run for district attorney, and had not made a decision yet. I’m very impressed with his respect for Ronnie Earle. Rick clearly stated to me that he had no intention to run if Ronnie Earle ran for another term. In fact, Rick said that he intended to be one of Mr. Earle’s strongest supporters. Rick is a very impressive young man.
By Shirely F. on Jan 5, 2008
I have to be honest and say I am not at all impressed with Mr.Cobb. I have seen quite a few articles on him referring to comments he has been making about persuing “white collar crime as vehemently as violent crimes”. This comment did not comfort me with an idea of him persuing all crimes, it made it almost sound as if he for some reason is judging them as the same level in criminal behavior. I realize crime is crime and breaking the law must be punished and persued, at the same time lets take a hard look at his comments on crime in general. I have to say it outright disturbs me to think a neighbor who cheated on there taxes would have a DA treating him and grouping him with child molesters. For some reason it is just slightly unnerving to hear comments that lack a presumption of innocence behind them and such a harsh outlook. We are texas and known for the level of punishment crime comes with in this state, that is great until it is taken way to far.
By Airly on Jan 17, 2008
I agree with you Airly. There is enough violent crime to fill the DAs day, plus political crimes.
I do not think Ms. Montford is very impressive so far either. Not in her televison commercials at least. Talking tough about home invasions sounds more like a San Antonio DA campaign to me.
By Sam Bass on Jan 17, 2008