West Texas DA’s Race Only Chance To See Electoral Consequences For Texas Youth Commission Scandal

Given that other responsible and blamable parties in the Texas Youth Commission Scandal (Perry, Dewhurst, et al), are not up for election this year, I suppose that the only race where we will get the first-hand chance to see what electoral repercussions is that of the 143rd District Attorney out sparsely populated West Texas:

The West Texas prosecutor who received national attention for ignoring a lengthy and graphic Texas Rangers report detailing sexual abuse at a nearby state juvenile jail, thinks he can win another term in office.

But the scandal involving the systematic abuse of children held in Texas Youth Commission facilities won’t be ignored. His only opponent is the county attorney who tried to run him out of office on grounds of misconduct and incompetence and the two have been feuding since the scandal broke last year.

Randall W. “Randy” Reynolds, a local native, decided to seek a fourth term last year after speaking with his family and close friends and colleagues.

“Close supporters caused me to run again,” Reynolds said. “People whose opinions I trust told me to run and the decision was made.”

Opponent Kevin Acker, the county attorney for the sparsely populated Ward County, said he’s running “to give the voters of the district a choice.”

Ordinarily, a race to fill the prosecutor’s office in a remote three-county patch of scrub in far West Texas, including the nation’s least populous county and spots of lucrative oil and gas fields, wouldn’t get much attention.

But this race features the verbal brawling between the two Democratic candidates that started in the midst of last year’s youth jail sex scandal.

Some of Reynolds’ critics in the last year said they won’t endorse Reynolds’ challenger but they plan to keep any eye on March 4 primary that will decide the race because no Republican filed to run.

“I typically don’t get involved in primary races and, at this time, neither candidate has sought my support,” said state Sen. Carlos Uresti, a Democrat whose district includes the Pecos area. “My main concern is that the district attorney be a person who is vigilant about protecting children and diligent about prosecuting cases. Where a child lives shouldn’t matter, whether a child lives at home with mom and dad or at the Pyote facility, all children should be protected from predators.”

I suspect this will be one of those “gag-a-buzzard” because the smaller the population of the electorate, the nastier the politics. But, that is fine and good, because this is, as we’ve noted, the only opportunity to electorally hold anyone accountable for the TYC Scandal until 2010 when Abbott, Dewhurst, Perry, et al are up for re-election.

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