Griffis, others supporting JP Chavez in runoff

May 17—Current Ector County Justice of the Peace Carlos Chavez got some heavy endorsements from law enforcement this week as he seeks a full term for the Precinct 1 slot.

Chavez, who was appointed to fill former JP Terry Lange's office when he retired about a year ago, is in a runoff with Jennifer Woodall. Early voting begins Monday.

Chavez retired after more than three decades with the Odessa Police Department. His law enforcement background has brought out a number of current and former law enforcement officials to support him.

Via Facebook on Wednesday, Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis posted his support for Chavez along with longtime local lawman Carl Rogers who posted "Carlos is the ONLY choice for the job."

Mike Patton detailed Chavez is a hard worker with thousands of hours of training in the laws of the state of Texas and a wealth of experience. Longtime lawman Chuck Moad also posted his support as did former OFR leader Rodd Huber.

Former JP Terry Lange also supports Chavez and has called his opponent Woodall out on what Lange said was a misinformation campaign on the number of cases and a backlog in the vast and sprawling Precinct 1.

Lange has said Woodall is spreading misinformation about the duties of a JP and a case backlog.

Chavez said Woodall is incorrect about the numbers of cases and how the job of a JP works. He said he's been knocking on doors campaigning and working to set the record straight.

"I have the largest precinct in Ector County and the west side is like another dadgum city ... it goes all the way to Penwell."

He said there are more than 28,000 active cases, which means "people are doing payment plans, defensive driving, deferred adjudication or teen court ... many were here when I got here and I make sure people pay."

The commissioners court recently approved a warrant officer/bailiff for Precinct 1 and that has been helpful in terms of getting warrants out of the office, Chavez said.

He said a number of his cases are small claims like credit card debt or evictions but he said he also has a lot of criminal cases from DPS and the sheriff's office. He said environmental warrants for trash and roadside dumping are also a part of the heavy case load.

He said he is fluent in Spanish and that aids him in Precinct 1. "My opponent would need an interpreter," he added.

Woodall did not respond to an email seeking comment. Mahan-Woodall is an office manager at Brown Oilfield Services.

Chavez emphasized how important his grasp of Texas law is and his ties to the west side. "I was born here in Precinct 1 and have been here all of my life. I know the people out there," he said. "A person should run on where they are as far as experience. I'm doing a good job according to the other judges here and I am fair. I weigh both sides in court and do not show any favoritism. I just go by the facts."

He said he has more than 35 years of experience serving the public as a police officer and now he serves the public again, but in a different way.

PRECINCT CHAIRS PART II

Ector County precinct chair races brought massive change to the local GOP with Donna Kelm defeating longtime incumbent Tisha Crow 4,954 to 3,775 back in March. Most of a group of newcomer candidates supporting Kelm also kicked out many of Crow's longtime supporters.

The Kelm faction supported Chavez while Woodall was supported by the Crow group.

Two of the precinct chair races ended in ties. In Precinct 205, Crow's candidate Dale Barnes got 142 votes as did Kelm's supporter Charles Pierce. In Precinct 310, Crow's candidate Jaime Mendoza received 68 votes as did Kelm's supporter Randy Elam.

Elam got into the race he said to help stop the bullying of the Ector County GOP. He was disappointed his race ended in a tie but is campaigning hard to get folks out to early vote. "I just want to help any way I can."

Elam is a longtime Odessan who owns Corky's Bar and Grill in Odessa. He said he is ready to get work as a precinct chair and to help push Republican priorities out to Odessans.

Elam grew up in Monahans and after high school graduation came to Odessa and has been here since. He's a grandfather and soon to be great-grandfather. This is his first run at political office. He said he just wants common sense and a local GOP that does not bully people.

Elam said he has a good voting record and looks forward to an engaged time as a precinct chair. He said he will be fair and open-minded.

Want to vote?

Early voting for the Ector County Primary Runoff Election begins Monday and ends Friday, May 24.

Visit the Ector County Elections web page for the early voting schedules, Election Day Vote Centers and sample ballots.

To be eligible to vote in the Primary Runoff Election on Tuesday, May 28, you must be a registered voter.

— Ector County: tinyurl.com/4wveavdc

— Secretary of State: www.sos.state.tx.us

— Call the elections office at 432-498-4030 if you are unsure of your voting status.