SCOTX: Criss Encourages Yanez To Pursue Another Race

State District Judge Susan Criss (D-Galveston), running for Place 8 on the Texas Supreme Court, is publicly encouraging appellate justice Linda Yanez–who is currently poised for a primary race against Criss–to pursue another seat on the state’s highest court, according to a press release from Legislative Media:

But Criss says that after she announced her plans last spring to run against Republican Johnson, Yañez said several months later that she would run against Criss in the March 4 Democratic Party primary for the right to face Johnson.

“It doesn’t make sense for two Democrats to be running against each other to face one Republican when there are two other seats on the Texas Supreme Court, also held by Republicans, that will be on the ballot in next year’s presidential election,” said Criss.

“Justice Yañez says she wants to make history by becoming the first Latina on the Texas Supreme Court. If she really wants to make history, she has the opportunity to become the first Hispanic Chief Justice of a state’s highest court, both in Texas and in the United States,” said Criss.

“Justice Yañez in 2002 was only able to pick up 42 percent of the vote when she ran against a Republican appointee for Texas Supreme Court,” Criss recalled. “But as a team, we can help generate huge numbers of votes from my home region of Houston and from her home region of South Texas. Together, we can help carry the Texas Democratic Party to historic victories next November, from the courthouse to the state house to the White House.”

Criss does indeed have a point. Several folks in the Netroots have already suggested such a move; Bill Howell at Stout Dem Blog made a similar recommendation back in September, though he wasn’t going so far as to presume to tell one of these ladies specifically that they should move over. It seems pretty senseless, given that there are three SCOTX seats up, for Yanez to run against Criss.

As for which one should move over, Criss had some specific reasons for selecting the Place 8 seat, which are certainly respectable. So, the ball would appear to be in Yanez’s court (no pun intended).

Technorati Tags Linda Yanez, Susan Criss, Texas Supreme Court

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