Elect Fair Judges in Collin County

By Debbie O’Reilly, WOW Dems President

Everyone is so focused on the races at the top of their ballots – the presidential race and the top few races at the federal level – that they’re overlooking candidates for some of the most important races.

For example, in Collin County, a slate of Democratic candidates known as The Magnificent 7 – Tonya Holt, Dana Huffman, Penny Robe, Sam Johnson, Christy Albano, Michael Payma, and Theresa Bui Creevy – are running for judicial seats that Republicans have dominated for about 35 years.

It’s time for a change.

Many of these Republican incumbents were initially appointed by Gov. Abbott and have benefited from incumbency, continuing to hold their seats with little resistance.

Dana Huffman’s opponent, Piper McCraw, was appointed by the governor based on her conservative viewpoints, Republican connections, and perceived ability to get reelected. She was not chosen based on her ability to be fair or her experience in family law (the 469th district court was created to handle a backlog of family court cases).

Apply that to Christy Albano’s opponent, Lindsey Wynne. She was chosen because she brings a conservative viewpoint to the bench in the 468th district court (another family law court), which is NOT the same as following the law.

The same is true for Michael Payma’s opponent, Andrea Bouressa, who lost miserably in 2016 only to be appointed to the bench by Abbott in 2019. She was chosen based on Republican connections, not ability and knowledge of the law – and definitely not due to the will of the people!

Sam Johnson’s opponent, Tom Nowak, was also appointed based on his Republican connections.

Penny Robe’s opponent, Benjamin N. Smith, ran in a contested Republican primary in 2012 as the “pro-life” and “Tea Party” candidate, even though judges are prohibited from taking positions on issues like these. He was ultimately appointed to the bench by Abbott.

Tonya Holt, who was just endorsed by the Dallas Morning News, is running against the former Chair of the Collin County Republican Party, George Flint. In his capacity as a district-level delegate to the 2016 RNC, Flint supported Ted Cruz as nominee.

The Collin County Republican Party, with help from the governor, keeps appointing the most extreme far-right judges to appeal to its base and keep donors happy.

Collin County deserves better than this. We deserve fair judges who are elected by the people of Collin County to represent THE PEOPLE, not a small but well-connected microcosm of the Tea Party.

When you vote in this election, remember to go all the way to the bottom of your ballot and vote for the Magnificent 7 slate. If you or one of your family ends up in front of a judge, you will want their fair and unbiased hands on the gavel.