Ex-sheriff Garcia to challenge incumbent for commissioner
Former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia announced Tuesday that he will run for Precinct 2 commissioner against incumbent Jack Morman.
In a video posted to Garcia’s Facebook page Tuesday, Garcia touts his credentials as a former member of Houston City Council and as sheriff. He said that during Hurricane Harvey, he saw residents of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds helping one another, and that “this is the kind of leadership that I want to bring to Precinct 2 every day.”
Garcia could not be reached for comment Tuesday, and a campaign adviser said the candidate was out of town for a “pre-existing engagement.” Garcia, however, did thank supporters on Twitter.
“This election is important for the future of our region,” he tweeted to one. “I welcome your help to engage our neighbors in this precinct.”
Garcia was a Houston police officer for 23 years before he won election to Houston City Council, representing District H, in 2004. He was elected Harris County sheriff in 2009 and re-elected once. He left his post in 2015 for an unsuccessful run for mayor of Houston.
He angered local Democrats when he launched a primary challenge against longtime U.S. Rep. Gene Green in 2016. Garcia sought to boost Hispanic participation in the 77 percent Latino 29th District that curls around eastern Houston. He finished 19 percentage points behind Green.
In announcing his candidacy for Precinct 2, Garcia’s campaign cited an internal poll claiming to show him with a better favorability rating than the Republican Morman.
“We all know that sometimes government can come up short, so it’s up to leaders who love what we do to roll our sleeves up and find better solutions,” Garcia said in an emailed announcement.
In running for the Precinct 2 seat, Garcia once again is seeking to capitalize on a seat that represents a large Latino population. Precinct 2 includes much of the city of Pasadena, neighborhoods north of Houston between Interstate 45 and the Hardy Toll Road and the eastern portion of the county north of I-45.
The Precinct 2 commissioner controls more than $150 million in funds and represents a precinct of more than 1 million people.
Jeff Yates, a campaign consultant for Morman, called the incumbent the superior candidate because of his demonstrated focus on infrastructure. Yates said Morman spearheaded projects to restore the Sylvan Beach Pavilion and the Leonel Castillo Community Center, and expand the Ship Channel bridge from four to eight lanes.
Bob Stein, a Rice University political scientist, said that any Democratic challenger would have a shot at unseating Morman.
Sammy Casados, a Pasadena city councilman who opposed a controversial plan to redistrict that city’s council districts that a federal judge ruled discriminated against Latino voters, also has said he would run as a Democrat against Morman.
Nonetheless, Stein said, Garcia could face a particular challenge in fundraising after losing his last two campaigns. Stein said he expects others to throw their hats in the ring for the position.
“Adrian’s got to be a strong candidate,” he said. “He’s got to be able to get out of the primary without any real challenges and save his money.”