While everyone on campus has been engulfed in Sing Song rehearsal, midterms and the beautiful weather of early March, another important event has crept up on us. With this being an election year – and a rather important one at that – it is now primary season. Today is the Republican primary for numerous candidates across the entire state. There are several races that you should be paying attention to.
First thing’s first. I do not consider myself Republican by any means. I have voted for Republican candidates in my short voting career, but the modern Republican Party has completely distanced itself from conservative principles, particularly when it comes to limiting the size and scope of government. I am simply discussing Republican primaries because Republicans are still closer to conservative than Democrats.
An interesting race is taking place in Dallas County for district attorney. The Republican candidates are Dan Wyde, Vickers Cunningham and Toby Shook. I have to admit … I have not had much time to devote to sorting out this race, but the information I have seen makes the choice somewhat straightforward for me.
Toby Shook is the only candidate in this race with career experience in the Dallas County district attorney’s office. In fact, Mr. Shook has been working in the Dallas County district attorney’s office since 1983. The two other candidates are former judges. Dallas Country residents should demand a district attorney with prior experience prosecuting cases. It would seem natural to select a candidate who has prior experience in a position similar to the one he is running for, and Mr. Shook fits that bill.
There are a couple of reasons why you, as an SMU student, should care about the selection of a district attorney for Dallas County. If you haven’t noticed, SMU is located within Dallas County. A better district attorney can better prosecute criminals, resulting in harsher sentences and fewer criminals on the streets. I know I would prefer fewer criminals in my city if I went out to clubs and bars every weekend like some SMU students.
Second, a good district attorney will fairly execute the law so that citizens do not get wrongly convicted of crimes they were not a part of. This includes all you crazy partiers who may want a fair prosecutor if you commit a crime in Dallas. On his Web site, Toby Shook promises to be an attorney who pays attention to the people in his district. That just so happens to cover all of SMU. It’s certainly something to think about whenever you venture beyond the bubble.
The other race I want to plug is in the eastern portion of Tarrant County. If you live around the H-E-B area or nearby, you can help select Pat Carlson as the Republican nominee for Texas House of Representatives District 91. I personally helped interview the candidates in this race. I was not turned off by any of them, and I had a tough time deciding between Kelly Hancock and Pat Carlson.
Ultimately, I supported Pat Carlson because she has a wealth of experience in local politics – including Republican Party chairwoman for Tarrant County – as well as a proven track record of lobbying for conservative causes. I hope you will support Pat Carlson for District 91.
No matter whom you vote for, please get out and vote if you are a Republican or Democrat. Independents beware: If you vote in a primary, you will be registered with the party whose primary you vote for.
Reed Hanson is a junior electrical engineering major. He may be contacted at [email protected].