Dallas DA Backing Democratic Challenger in Campaign Against Embattled Incumbent

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor

Eric Johnson scored a key endorsement Monday when Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins threw his support behind the local lawyer in his bid to unseat a veteran state House Democrat in the March primary election.

As an African-American who's the chief prosecutor in the state's second largest county, Watkins' support is a major plum for a black challenger running for the House in a district where minorities account for more than 80 percent of the population and the incumbent is facing criminal charges stemming from a federal investigation into public corruption at Dallas City Hall.

Johnson, a Harvard graduate who's a former aide to State Rep. Yvonne Davis, is in the midst of his debut campaign for elected office in his quest for the House District 100 seat that Democratic State Rep. Terri Hodge has been winning without significant opposition until now for the past 12 years.

Hodge is scheduled to go on trial March 8 - six days after the primary election - in a felony case based on allegations that she backed affordable housing projects that a developer was seeking permission to build in exchange for bribes from him. Several other defendants including former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill were found guilty earlier this month on charges related to the probe that led to the charges against Hodge.

Hodge says she's running for re-election despite the lingering criminal case and plans to make a formal announcement in a couple of weeks. She acknowledged in a Dallas Morning Newsstory on Sunday that Johnson has prompted her to accelerate her timetable for the re-election campaign.

If Hodge wins the primary election before a subsequent conviction in the criminal case, the Democratic precinct chairs in HD 100 would replace her on the general election ballot in light of state law that bars someone from serving in the Legislature if he or she has been convicted of a felony offense. But that will be a moot point if Johnson knocks her out in the primary with help from high-profile supporters like the Democratic district attorney in Dallas County.

“Eric Johnson has the experience, education, and most importantly the direct connection to his district that will make him a very effective representative for the people of District 100 and that is why I am proud to support him in this race,” Watkins said.

“I have talked to many people in District 100 and it is clear to me that I am not alone in recognizing that Eric is the right person for this job," Watkins added. "I know he will work in the Texas Legislature to make our neighborhoods safer while ensuring that those accused of breaking the law have their fundamental rights respected.”

Hodge knows what it's like to have a hard-charging challenger taking aim at an incumbent - having won the HD 100 seat initially in 1996 when she ousted a House Democrat who'd represented the district in the lower chamber for 24 years. Hodge claimed the Democratic nomination to the House seat that year when she won the primary outright with almost 55 percent of the vote while incumbent Samuel Hudson received less than 19 percent. A third candidate, Kenneth Green, finished second in the Democratic primary election that time around with 27 percent of the vote then.

Hudson had been accused during a long career as a legislator of being absent from House sessions repeatedly and missing many key votes. Eleven years after losing to Hodge in his re-election bid, Hudson was disbarred by the State Bar of Texas in 2007 amid allegations of fraudulent conduct as a licensed attorney.

Since launching his campaign for the House, Johnson has been stacking up endorsements from community leaders and political activists including a majority of the Democratic precinct chairs in the district he hopes to represent.

Johnson has been endorsed by several community and political leaders in District 100, including a majority of the district's Democratic precinct chairs and an impressive number of neighborhood association presidents, religious leaders, and business owners.

Johnson said the endorsement from Watkins is an example of "principled leadership" that the first-term prosecutor had demonstrated and "a genuine commitment to bringing real, positive change to Dallas."

Johnson said he was "deeply honored" to have Watkins' support in a district where public safety is a big issue. “Crime is a very serious concern in District 100 and I look forward to working with a bold, honest, and fair leader like Craig Watkins to promote both safety and justice for all of the people of Dallas.”

Hodge, a former longtime employee for Southwestern Bell, hasn't faced primary opposition since her first bid for re-election in 1998 when she beat Democratic foe Joe Granado with 83 percent of the vote.

Hodge's district, which stretches across south central Dallas from the city limits on both the west and east, has a population that's 46 percent African-American and 36 percent Hispanic.