Criss for SD 11
Within hours of the 2005 Texas City Refinery explosion that killed 15 workers, Judge Susan Criss of the Texas 212nd District Court in Galveston County began meeting with lawyers representing victims and BP to begin handling what would eventually number 4,005 settled claims. After Hurricane Ike in 2008, Criss again oversaw a massive number of disputes over insurance claims even as she struggled to repair her own flooded home.
As a result of her judicial experience, and time as a criminal defense lawyer, Criss has an exceptionally deep understanding of how Texas laws can be improved. She is bursting with ideas for criminal justice reform, mitigating flood damage and making the workings of the Legislature more transparent. We believe all this adds up to make her an extraordinary candidate for the Texas Senate and Democrats’ best choice for Senate District 11 in the March 3 primary.
Her father served in the Legislature when she was a student at the University of Texas and she wants to rekindle the bipartisan spirit that she saw firsthand. She also stresses the importance of working with different types of experts at the table.
As a judge, she chaired a Gulf Coast task force on jail diversion for the mentally ill. “We found ways to identify the mentally ill and divert them from jail as much as we could long before it was the popular thing to do,” Criss said.
She also points to the need for more crime labs in the state to reduce time defendants sit in jail awaiting trial.
Margarita Ruiz Johnson is also running in the Democratic primary and did not meet with the Editorial Board. As the wife and daughter of veterans, she calls for better support of veterans and their benefits.
In the 2018 election, the incumbent, Sen. Larry Taylor, ran unopposed. With Criss, Democrats have their best chance to engage voters they will need if the party ever hopes to flip this primarily Republican district.