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I've been compiling side-by-side candidate comparisons for every ballot contest in my precinct, which is part of the #TX21 Congressional district. And let me tell you, it's been an eye-opening demonstration of exactly how much contempt the Texas GOP has for voters. One example:
460th Criminal District Court: Democrat Selena Alvarenga challenges Republican incumbent Geoffrey Puryear. https://ballotpedia.org/Municipal_elections_in_Travis_County,_Texas_(2020)#Other_judicial
Alvarenga came to U.S. at age 13 to escape war in El Salvador. Spent 23 years as an attorney providing indigent defense. Would be Travis County’s first openly gay Latina immigrant judge. Favors restorative justice, ending cash bail, etc: http://selenaforjudge.com
She's awesome, right? Let's look at her opponent. Geoffrey Puryear is a former Williamson County prosecutor. In 2014 he helped secure a sexual assault conviction and 25-year sentence for high school student Greg Kelley. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/kelley-sentenced-to-25-years-without-parole/269-260133868
In 2017, Kelley's case was reopened after Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick received new evidence, and the Texas Rangers began investigating. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/williamson-county/greg-kelley-leander-sex-assault-child-conviction-overturned/269-443000777
That December, WilCo Judge Donna King found that Kelley had been the target of an unfair police investigation. Puryear and WilCo DA Jana Duty withheld evidence implicating the likely perpetrator and concealed evidence proving Kelley's innocence. https://www.johntfloyd.com/false-outcry-greg-kelley
Kelley had served 3 years in prison when his conviction was overturned. The other suspect in the case was later sentenced to 4 years in prison after a frat party assault, but will likely never be prosecuted for the crime Kelley was wrongly accused of. https://www.oxygen.com/true-crime-buzz/outcry-where-is-greg-kelleys-friend-johnathan-mccarty
On November 6, 2019, all nine judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agreed that Kelley had been the target of an unfair police investigation and had established his actual innocence. He was exonerated. https://cases.justia.com/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2019-wr-87-470-01-0.pdf?ts=1573057145
On November 7, 2019--THE NEXT DAY--Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Puryear to the 460th Court. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-appoints-puryear-to-460th-judicial-district-court
Cedar Park's Police Chief and a detective on the case resigned in the wake of the exoneration. Kelley is suing them and the city for damages. But Geoffrey Puryear, who ran the prosecution, is making $140K/year, presiding over felony trials. https://salaries.texastribune.org/employees/geoffrey-d-puryear-712974/
The whole debacle was so outrageous, Showtime made a documentary about it, called “Outcry.” https://www.sho.com/outcry/season/1#:~:text=Season%201-,A%20five%2Dpart%20documentary%20series%20examining%20the%20gripping%20story%20of,quest%20for%20truth%20and%20justice.
Puryear's website, which I will NOT link to, tells supporters, "Your donation is an opportunity to be part of keeping the only Republican on the bench in Travis County!"
I don't think I need to tell you what to do if you see the 460th Criminal District Court on your ballot.
I don't think I need to tell you what to do if you see the 460th Criminal District Court on your ballot.
Please tell your friends about this travesty, and remind them how important downballot races are. Abbott appoints garbage like Puryear in the hope that incumbency will keep him in power. Don't let that happen. VOTE YOUR WHOLE BALLOT, EVERY RACE.
If you're interested in the other races I've been researching, the candidate comparison sheets are downloadable from https://www.susanschorn.com/candidate-comparisons-travis-county-pct-460-diydc/
Please note that these comparisons are NOT non-partisan or "neutral," because I want to go to heaven when I die, thank you. As the disclaimer on each sheet says, "If you don't like it, write your own." http://Vote411.com has non-partisan candidate info for those who need it.
(Puryear, BTW, is in the news again this week because he's the judge who quashed the dodgy subpoenas in the latest Ken Paxton scandal. It sounds like a completely pro forma call, so not necessarily an indicator of his loyalty to Abbott) https://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/five-points-on-the-wild-allegations-against-texas-attorney-general-from-his-top-staff)
(But one of the things I've realized as I've zoomed in on Texas politics since 2016: It's not just good old boys scratching each others' backs anymore. There's a new class of carpetbaggers and grifters and they are all deeply suspicious and jealous of one another.)
