01.02.09
Ronnie Earle should run for Governor of Texas
As I was reading this AAS article, Retiring DA engaged community in his job, it seemed like a “no-brainer” that Ronnie Earle should run for the Democratic nomination as Governor of Texas in 2010.
Lawyers and judges call Earle an innovator and say he was the perfect match for Austin, a place where juries have shown little appetite for sentencing low-level offenders to prison.
Terry Keel, a prosecutor under Earle in the 1980s and 1990s who went on to become county sheriff, a state legislator and Texas House parliamentarian, said Earle struck a balance between innovative programs and being tough on crime. Keel said, for example, that Earle was one of the first in Texas to create a special unit for prosecuting child abuse crimes.
“What he’s most known for, and rightfully so, is he was willing to think outside the box,” said Keel, a Republican. “Ronnie sees the role as more of a social worker than as a law enforcer.”
In the past decade and a half, Wilson Andrews, a bailiff in Travis County courts, has volunteered on a variety of Earle initiatives, including community crime prevention committees and at the Travis County state jail, helping reintegrate former offenders into the community. Andrews, 75, said Earle is “straight up.” “In other words, he cares,” he said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Earle, 66, is married to Twila Hugley Earle, with whom he once taught a class on “community building” at the University of Texas. They have three grown children, including Travis County Court-at-Law Judge Elisabeth Earle.
He grew up northeast of Fort Worth on a ranch near Birdville, now called Haltom City. He came to Austin when he was 19 and earned government and law degrees from the University of Texas. At 26, he became Texas’ youngest judge when he was appointed associate judge in Austin’s Municipal Court,
In 1973, Earle won his first of two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, and three years later, he ran for district attorney and defeated then-County Attorney Ned Granger.
Earle recalls that he started out as a tough-on-crime prosecutor but within a few years realized that, standing alone, that approach was flawed. Criminals would go off to prison and return to Austin as better criminals, he said.
“To do the same thing over and over and wait for the same result is insanity,” he said.
In the 1980s, Earle was a leader of the emerging community justice movement, pushing alternative sentencing programs like jail boot camp and making restitution for victims a priority.
With the issues this state has had in recent years with its prisons and reform talk coming from both sides of the aisle the last several years – problems at the TYC, putting innocent people in jail, easing some sex offender requirements, and alternatives to prison – an Earle candidacy would have built-in appeal.
Of course, he’s got tremendous support and credibility with the Democratic base in Texas. He’d be a great counter on the ballot to either Perry or Hutchinson, and will not shrink in the face of their attacks. He’s also well positioned to take advantage of the GOP’s corruption. And he’d make the “wing-nut” heads spin in the Texas GOP. Here’s what the article said about a run for governor:
As he prepares to leave office Thursday, Earle, who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2010, is coy about his future plans. “I am going to be doing some life preaching, but it ain’t going to be the gospel,” he said.
It is impossible to know whether Earle would seriously consider running. Democrats would be fortunate to have a candidate with his experience and integrity on the statewide ballot.
Texas Progressive Alliance Round Up Jan. 5, 2009 | BlueBloggin said,
January 5, 2009 at 8:08 am
[...] WCNews at Eye On Williamson says that Ronnie Earle should run for Governor of Texas. [...]
Texas Progressive Alliance Round Up Jan. 5, 2009 « TruthHugger said,
January 5, 2009 at 8:10 am
[...] WCNews at Eye On Williamson says that Ronnie Earle should run for Governor of Texas. [...]
Eye on Williamson » Texas Blog Round Up (January 5, 2008) said,
January 5, 2009 at 8:51 am
[...] WCNews at Eye On Williamson says that Ronnie Earle should run for Governor of Texas. [...]
Eye on Williamson » Govener’s race ramblings said,
January 26, 2009 at 12:35 pm
[...] Democrats at this point there’s no real hurry for anyone to get in. While there’s been some speculation about who may run on the Democratic side, more than likely it’ll work itself out [...]
Eye on Williamson » Latest on the Texas race for governor said,
February 9, 2009 at 11:13 am
[...] joins Henry Cisneros and Ronnie Earle as a possibile candidate to run for the Democratic nomination next year. Schieffer, from his [...]
Statewide race for Earle? « Off the Kuff said,
April 27, 2009 at 4:26 am
[...] Eye on Williamson has been on the Earle-for-Governor bandwagon for months now, so this ought to make him happy. I think just the fact that “people” have been talking to Earle about a possible statewide run next year suggests that these people, who one presumes are the type who can actually make a campaign financially viable, think such a race is winnable. That says something about the political climate these days. Such optimism may be misplaced, but give how not too long ago the meme was that Democrats had already punted on the 2010 elections, it’s remarkable in and of itself. [...]
Eye on Williamson » Ronnie Earle looking at statewide run said,
April 27, 2009 at 10:23 am
[...] stated it’s preference for an Earle run at the beginning of the year, Ronnie Earle should run for Governor of Texas. Of course, he’s got tremendous support and credibility with the Democratic base in Texas. He’d [...]
Eye on Williamson » 2010 statewide ruminations said,
June 26, 2009 at 11:47 am
[...] With Tom Schieffer’s announcement on Wednesday also came news that Former Travis District Attorney Ronnie Earle [is] Considering Statewide Run. Of course EOW would love to see him run, Ronnie Earle should run for Governor of Texas. [...]
Earle is running for something – Off the Kuff said,
July 3, 2009 at 3:45 pm
[...] Anyway. Here’s Vince’s post that announced the Draft Ronnie website. It’s drawn support so far from Faith Chatham, McBlogger, and Eye on Williamson, which can credibly claim to have been on the bandwagon before it was cool. [...]
Eye on Williamson » Earle not in “yet”, Schieffer talks with bloggers said,
August 20, 2009 at 9:43 am
[...] Not mentioned and one of the things Earle will bring to the race is a Democrat that’s not afraid to take it straight to the Republicans, he won’t shrink from a fight. Yes, Earle needs to run for governor of Texas. [...]
Earle still pondering a run for Governor – Off the Kuff said,
September 13, 2009 at 2:39 pm
[...] while Gilbert’s entry has fired up a number of activists, including some who were once Earle boosters. There’s still room in the field for him – frankly, I think the bigger, the better at [...]
Eye on Williamson » Update on the Democratic Primary for Governor said,
September 14, 2009 at 10:32 am
[...] County DA Ronnie Earle is still “leaning toward” running for governor. While we are a fan of Earle’s, at this point, it’s hard to understand what he’s still mulling over about a [...]
Earle still pondering a run for Governor | BlueRoots Campaigns said,
September 16, 2009 at 9:22 pm
[...] while Gilbert’s entry has fired up a number of activists, including some who were once Earle boosters. There’s still room in the field for him – frankly, I think the bigger, the better at [...]
Eye on Williamson » Ronnie Earle Files for Lt. Gov. said,
December 21, 2009 at 4:35 pm
[...] on Earle form the earlier in the year when he was discerning a run for Governor can be read here and [...]