Why Y'all Want To Change Texas Judicial Elections Now, TXGOP?

Over the last 25 years the Texas Republican party has gleefully celebrated as they took over the state judiciary in large part because of partisan judicial elections.

In 2018, that script flipped in a major way.   In addition to being eviscerated from 59 judicial benches in Harris County (Houston), the TXGOP lost 22 benches in Bexar County (San Antonio), seven in suburban Fort Bend County and saw four Texas Court of Appeals districts serving Austin, Houston (which has two districts serving it) and Dallas flip to Democratic control.    The Texas Democrats also gained majorities on half of the state's 14 appeals court districts 

Can you say TXGOP panic?   Thought you could. 

Because the state of Texas is finally starting to show signs of turning purple because it has been since 2009 majority non-white in population, now all of a sudden the Texas Republican Party wants to change the way judges are elected in the Lone Star State,

The Republicans still have control of all nine seats on the Texas Supreme Court but SCOTX Chief Justice Nathan Hecht is calling for changes in the way that elects its judges.

Waah, cry me a river.   After using the GOP run Texas judiciary to roll back or stymie progressive policies and laws passed in Texas cities, now y'all mad that the political pendulum is swinging back in the direction of Texas Democrats. 

It's also the diversity of the judges bothering the TXGOP more than the fact they are now on the losing end of these judicial elections.  You're also big mad that with those Texas Democratic judicial wins also comes more diversity to the bench.   

In Harris County for example, we not only saw 17 African American women elected to the bench, we also saw our first ever Pakistani American female judge get elected in Rabeea Collier.

And naw TXGOP, it wasn't all straight ticket voting that was responsible for your disastrous election night.   That the fake news you told yourselves and your followers, but the reality is that your party is viewed by nonwhite Texans as racist and hostile to us.

In 2018 we decided to do something about that by bumrushing the polls is massive numbers across the state to throw you TXGOP bums out of power.   Didn't hurt that Beto O'Rourke was running for the US Senate against Rafael Cruz either.

The Texas electorate is changing to reflect the diversity of the state, and we want our judicial benches to reflect that diversity. 

So Texas GOP judges, it's either respond to the inevitable demographic changes that have been taking place in the Lone Star State since 2009, or continue to suffer the electoral consequences in 2020 and beyond.

Trans Woman Running For Judge In California

One of the things I have long been adamant about is that qualified trans people need to begin running for public office.

In this political cycle we already have two people running for their state legislatures in Oklahoma and Maryland.

Victoria Kolakowski is seeking to make elective history as well. However she wishes to do so as the first transgender trial court judge.

She's running for Alameda County Superior Court judge, and while Kolakowski is cognizant she'll be making history if she's triumphant this November, she wants Alameda County voters to focus on her 21 years of judicial experience.

She has served as a private practice attorney, a corporate attorney and a current administrative law judge for the California Public Utilities Commission.

"It's not like I'm going to be elected and be 'the transgender judge," she said in a SF Gate interview. "If I'm not going to be able to represent the entire community or have the skills for the job, I don't want people to vote for me."

In California's June 16 primary Kolakowski came close to winning outright. She earned 67,000 votes, 45 percent of the total. Since she didn't get the 50% she needed to win, she is a fall runoff with John Creighton, who picked up 22% of the vote.

If you want to learn more about her or donate to her campaign, you can check out her website.

Best of luck, Victoria. I hope you get the opportunity to serve the residents of Alameda County and make history at the same time.