The Fort Bend Young Democrats Endorsement Committee conducted over 45 interviews and reviewed over 50 questionnaires for County and State Level Candidates for the March 2020 Democratic Primary. The Endorsement Committee was comprised of a dozen Young Democrats who have significant campaign experience as staffers or as candidates for local office themselves. Interviews and discussions spanned over 5 days.
The committee’s recommendations were made to the General Body along with the pros/cons for each candidate in each race. Discussions were allowed for each race.
The Following Endorsements were made by the FBYD General Body at our endorsement meeting on 1/9/2020:
Texas Supreme Court, Chief Justice — Amy Clark Meachum
Texas Supreme Court, Place 6 — Kathy Cheng
Texas Supreme Court, Place 7 — Brandy Voss
Texas Supreme Court, Place 8 — Gisela Triana
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 — William Demond
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 — No Recommendation
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 — Brandon Birmingham
1st Court of Appeals, Place 3 — Veronica Rivas-Malloy
1st Court of Appeals, Place 5 — Co-Endorsement: Amparo M. Guerra and Tim Hootman
14th Court of Appeals, Chief Justice — Jane Robinson
14th Court of Appeals, Place 7 — Wally Kronzer
387th District Court, Fort Bend County — Jamie Zand
400th District Court, Fort Bend County — Tameika Carter
434th District Court, Fort Bend County — Christian Becerra
505th District Court, Fort Bend County — Co-Endorsement: Kali Morgan and Daniel Lee
FB County Court at Law #5 — Teana V. Watson (i)
FB Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1 — Cody Moore
County Party Chair — Cynthia Ginyard
Constable, Precinct 1 — Sam Hayes
Constable Precinct 2 — No Recommendation
Constable, Precinct 3 — Mo Nehad
Constable, Precinct 4 — Nabil Shike
State Representative, HD 85 — Joe Cardenas
State Representative, HD 28 — Eliz Markovitz
State Representative, HD 27 — Ron Reynolds (i)
State Representative, HD 26 — Rish Oberoi
Fort Bend Tax Assessor-Collector — Neeta Sane
FB Commissioner, Precinct 1 — Jennifer Cantu
FB Commissioner, Precinct 3 — Hope Martin
Fort Bend County Sheriff — Eric Fagan
Fort Bend County Attorney — Sonia Rash
(i) Denotes Incumbent
Texas Supreme Court, Chief Justice — Amy Clark Meachum
Amy Clark Meachum is one of the most impressive Judicial candidates we interviewed. As one of the youngest District Court Judge in the State and an expert in Ethics, we cannot think of a more fitting nominee to represent Democrats and Texans as Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. She has already been elected three times, has a strong campaign infrastructure and background, and is remarkably qualified. Although judicial candidates are rarely high profile, we strongly believe that the Democratic Party should elevate Judge Meachum as one of the faces of our party state-wide. There is no more fitting example of the differences between Democrats and Republicans this election cycle than showcasing a young, female expert in ethics for the Chief Justice of the highest civil court in the State. We unanimously endorse Amy Clark Meachum for Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
Texas Supreme Court, Place 6 — Kathy Cheng
Kathy Cheng is an amazing lawyer and advocate. This is her second time running, and we were impressed when she first ran state-wide last election cycle. She is a leader among her judicial candidate peers and resource for all appellate judicial candidates. Where Kathy truly distinguishes herself from her opponents is her efforts on the campaign trail. She can raise money, she shows up, and has developed a unique network among lawyers and the AAPI community that will help Democrats up and down the ballot. We would also be remiss to not mention how wonderful and energetic of a person Kathy is and look forward to the statement that her personality and knowledge would bring to the Texas Supreme Court. We unanimously endorse Kathy Cheng for Texas Supreme Court, Place 6.
Texas Supreme Court, Place 7 — Brandy Voss
Brandy Voss is a board-certified Appellate Lawyer who has handled over 1,000 Appellate Cases, making her the clear, qualified choice for this position. Additionally, Brandy is from South Texas and would help bring geographical diversity to the Texas Supreme Court. Her work in South Texas would be a huge benefit to Democrats throughout the State. Additionally, her strong expression of Democratic values of fairness and quality would bring huge value to a Supreme Court that is unrepresentative of the entirety of the State of Texas. She has a strong sense of set of ethical principles and a judicial philosophy that would be refreshing to the highest civil court in Texas. We unanimously endorse Brandy Voss for Texas Supreme Court, Place 7.
Texas Supreme Court, Place 8 — Gisela Triana
Gisela Triana is an outstanding judicial candidate, and someone able to uniquely understand the types of issues that may be presented to the Texas Supreme Court. As the only candidate who has actually served as a judge at all levels (Municipal, County, State, and Appellate), Judge Triana has trial experience hearing types of cases and issues that would appear before the Supreme Court. Additionally, she has a solid campaign infrastructure and has been campaigning throughout the state diligently, and has a history of winning elections. We were impressed by her commitment to expanding access to the higher courts and ensuring that more communities have access and an understanding of the Court. We unanimously endorse Gisela Triana for Texas Supreme Court, Place 8.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 — No Recommendation
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 — William Pieratt Demond
William Pieratt Demond is a well-respected attorney whose expertise is in Constitutional Law. He emphasized the need to bring diversity of thought and opinion to the highest Criminal Court in the State of Texas. While he is immensely qualified and would be a distinguished jurist if elected, we also appreciated his concerted efforts to educate and engage young people throughout the state. He has visited colleges and universities teaching young people about the importance of voting. We were also particularly impressed by his efforts on a case that originated out of Fort Bend County of a woman he feels faced extreme prejudice and is now appealing her case to the U.S. Supreme Court. His discussion of protecting individual rights and acknowledging how systematic racism plays too large a role in Texas’s criminal justice system was passionate and educational. William Demond will be an exceptional jurist for all those who believe in the rule of law and constitutional liberties. We unanimously endorse William Pieratt Demond for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3.
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 — Brandon Birmingham
Brandon Birmingham is a former prosecutor and current District Court Judge in Dallas County. As someone who is running for the highest criminal court in the State of Texas, we appreciate his long, impactful career as an attorney in multiple levels of the criminal justice system. As a former Felony Chief, he handled all levels of felonies, including death penalty cases, and as a judge he has overseen countless felony trials. We appreciated his particular first-hand experiences with DNA evidence and the issues its use has in trials. This knowledge would be particularly useful for the Court of Criminal Appeals. Additionally, Brandon has been active in the legal and local communities as someone who regularly writes, discusses, and educates about the courts and criminal justice system. We believe Brandon is a fair, knowledgeable jurist who would be accessible and accountable to the public. We unanimously endorse Brandon Birmingham for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9.
1st Court of Appeals, Place 3 — Veronica Rivas-Malloy
Veronica Rivas-Malloy has over 30 years of commercial litigation and appellate experience and special counsel relationships at one of the state’s largest law firms. Where she really stood out though was her community legal work as she has devoted a significant part of her career to pro bono legal work, including representation of individuals at immigration proceedings, and KIND, an organization that helped represent unaccompanied minors and first generation immigrants in immigration proceedings. She also developed a mentorship program at her firm between newer and older attorneys and would seek to implement similar mentorship programs for lawyers across the State. Additionally, she has raised a significant amount of money and is spending her time organizing and reaching out to the LatinX community, which will help Democrats throughout the ballot. She also mentioned spending time at universities and engaging with young people. She is undeniably qualified as a jurist and is someone who represents the Democratic Party and its values well. We unanimously endorse Veronica Rivas-Maloy for 1st Court of Appeals, Place 3.
1st Court of Appeals, Place 5 — Amparo M. Guerra and Tim Hootman
Amparo M. Guerra is a well-respected attorney. Of all appellate candidates, Amparo repeatedly was mentioned as a candidate and lawyer that lawyers on both sides of the aisle had great respect for. Amparo’s expertise in business litigation and her time serving as a municipal judge in the City of Houston gives her a unique experience that would benefit the Court of Appeals. Her personal story about boarding school and the need to pave the way forward for others was genuine and inspiring. Her plan for a judicial internship program that was inclusive shows that she has vision for what the Court of Appeals could do to benefit communities beyond their legal decisions. She has been campaigning longer than any other candidate and has been incredibly visible, and we welcome a bilingual candidate who has been reaching out to underrepresented communities and bringing them into the Democratic process. We Co-endorse Amparo M. Guerra for the 1st Court of Appeals, Place 5.
Tim Hootman is a lawyer’s lawyer, someone whom other attorneys clearly respect and go to for their appeals. He has handled over a thousand appellate cases over his career, and is extremely well-respected within the profession. His appellate practice has addressed issues across the legal spectrum allowing him to be knowledgeable on the issues that the court would face. We are also impressed by his commitment to the Democratic Party throughout Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. His bus, loyal volunteers, and appearances throughout the counties show his capability and dedication to getting out voters in all counties. Tim has the relationships, energy, and experience to represent all Texans. We unanimously Co-endorse Tim Hootman for 1st Court of Appeals, Place 5.
14th Court of Appeals, Chief Justice — Jane Robinson
Jane Robinson is a delightful person and incredible lawyer. Her legal expertise at one of the city’s top law firms and her personal story of being only the second female partner and first mother to be made partner is a testament to her perseverance and the groundbreaking example she provides for lawyers, women, and all Texans. She is an author for O’Connors, which is one of the premier legal resources available, and with over 20 years of legal practice she would bring a varied personal experience, a sharp intellect, and a charismatic presence to the court. She has been an active campaigner and is her mentors are some of the finest Democratic elected officials in the area. We unanimously endorse Jane Robinson for Chief Justice of the 14th Court of Appeals.
14th Court of Appeals, Place 7 — Wally Kronzer
Wally Kronzer is Board Certified in Civil Appellate law, a legal certification that few attorneys in the State of Texas possess. His reputation and qualifications as an outstanding attorney are beyond reproach. Wally distinguishes himself through his commitment to justice beyond his legal practice. We were impressed that he had run before and has eagerly helped and provided guidance on campaigning to his fellow appellate candidates. He is a team player who is raising the tide for all Democrats. We were also particularly moved by his advocacy of LGBT rights, particularly in family cases throughout his career as well as his willingness to learn and do immigration appeals to help persons unjustly facing deportation. Wally is able, empathetic, knowledgeable, and would be an outstanding jurist. We unanimously endorse Wally Kronzer for 14th Court of Appeals, Place 7.
387th District Court, Fort Bend County — Jamie Zand
Jamie Zand is one of the premier family law attorneys in Fort Bend County. She has over 11 years of practicing legal experience. Her humble beginnings as the daughter of a farmer, experiences in adoption and co-parenting, as well as a diverse Client base, give her the unique ability to empathize and understand the myriad of family lifestyles that would go before the Court. She would change the climate of the court to be more inviting, more accessible, and more transparent to lawyers and families that would come before her. Jamie’s passion for children and families are more in line with Fort Bend County than her opponent or the current judge. We unanimously endorse Jamie Zand for Judge of the 387th District Court, Fort Bend County, Texas.
400th District Court, Fort Bend County — Tameika Carter
Tameika Carter is currently a Fort Bend County Prosecutor in their Mental Health Division. She has also been in private practice and served as a prosecutor in Harris County, bringing over 15 years of legal and trial experience to the bench. Her vision and empathy, especially to those with mental disabilities reflects her compassion and understanding of law and how judges can improve the lives of the county’s residents and approach criminal justice reform from a unique perspective. She has previously run for judge before and is a staple of the Fort Bend County Democratic community helping to build the Party for nearly a decade. She is intelligent, hard-working, compassionate, and a dedicated public servant whose presence on the bench would be a boon to all Fort Bend County. We unanimously endorse Tameika Carter for Judge of the 400th District Court, Fort Bend County, Texas.
434th District Court, Fort Bend County — Christian Becerra
Christian Becerra is one of the hardest working, well-respected, and intelligent criminal defense attorneys in Fort Bend County. He is part of a family that has multi-generational roots in Fort Bend County, and he takes pride in the community that he grew up in and now serves. Christian is charismatic, charming, and dedicated to doing the right thing for his clients and community. We were impressed by his deep compassion and empathy. He discussed cases where he was able to get treatment for a juvenile charged with a heinous act, of seeing first-hand how offenders have been able to turn their lives around, and of often being the only one in a courtroom who believed in and would fight for someone who was accused. Christian has a deeply committed, young and diverse staff and is reaching out and organizing the Hispanic community in an unprecedented way. We know as a judge he will be compassionate, understanding, and fair. We unanimously endorse Christian Becerra for Judge of the 434th District Court, Fort Bend County, Texas.
FB County Court at Law #5 — Teana V. Watson (i)
Teana V. Watson is the current incumbent judge. Her legal experience as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer in the Fort Bend County area for nearly three decades give her the experience and understanding necessary to adjudicate fairly the criminal, civil, juvenile, and probate cases that the court handles. Additionally, she oversees the specialty Drug Court in which Defendants with substance abuse issues are monitored and receive treatment for the issues in exchange for minimal criminal consequences. She has been active in the community for years including presenting Know Your Rights programs to better educate underrepresented communities about the criminal justice system. We unanimously endorse Teana V. Watson for Judge of County Court at Law #5, Fort Bend County.
Constable, Precinct 1 — Sam Hayes
Sam Hayes has over 28 years in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and has a Master’s TCOLE license. There is no question as to his qualifications or field experience to serve as constable. His platform to reform the office and bring it into the 21st Century is refreshing and needed as the Office would serve many of Fort Bend’s most rural and impoverished communities. His determination to change the office culture to be more accountable and to have the office stop paying other law enforcement agencies to patrol areas of the Precinct shows a deep understanding of the issues currently facing Precinct 1 and its Constable’s Office. Sam is a strong campaigner who has been blockwalking and reaching out to the various communities throughout the precinct. We unanimously endorse Sam Hayes for Constable, Precinct 1.
Constable, Precinct 3 — Mo Nehad
Mo Nehad is a long-serving Peace Officer in the State of Texas. Mo primarily impressed us with his vision for the Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, where he hopes to bring transparency and accountability to a department that has had issues. Also, as Precinct 3 is fast-growing, especially with diverse populations, he hopes to bring in deputies that reflect the neighborhoods in Precinct 3 and a command staff that can relate and reach out to all the communities throughout the Precinct. His stance in improving relationships between the office and other law enforcement agencies as well as continuing the investigations and efforts to end human trafficking in the Precinct are admirable initiatives that all Fort Bend County residents can rally behind. We unanimously endorse Mo Nehad for Constable Precinct 3.
Constable, Precinct 4 — Nabil Shike
Nabil Shike is the most qualified candidate for this race without question. His experience as a police officer and education make his suited for the position of Constable. Nabil impressed the most when he articulated the issues the current office has in failing to represent and serve the residents of Precinct 4. Additionally, his focus on training and educating and diversifying the constables office to better reflect the community the office serves was refreshing and the best case for how to implement community policing we heard. We also appreciated how consistently and strongly Nabil has been in supporting other candidates and reaching out to new communities. He also may be the best dressed candidate on the Democratic slate. We unanimously endorse Nabil Shike for Constable Precinct 4.
State Representative, HD 85 — Joe Cardenas
Joe Cardenas is authentic, articulate, and fiercely passionate about protecting children and improving our Public Education system. Currently a teacher for over a couple decades in a rural county, Joe has the respect and the network to bring an unrepresented group of people into the Democratic Party fold and to the polls. One of the hidden gems in the Democratic Party, Joe has a long history in activism, organization, and fighting for the little guy. We appreciated his strong progressive values and down-to-earth, grassroots campaign strategy. We unanimously endorse Joe Cardenas for Texas State House Representative, District 85
State Representative, HD 28 — Eliz Markovitz
See www.fortbendyds.com/candidates
State Representative, HD 27 — Ron Reynolds (i)
Ron Reynolds is a multi-term incumbent who has represented his District relentlessly over the past decade. He has continuously filed progressive legislation, including legalizing marijuana, raising minimum wage, ending truancy as a criminal offense, expanding medicaid, tuition-free public colleges, climate change legislation, and criminal justice reform education. He has been a part of Democratic leadership in the House, and is perhaps the most accessible House Representative in the State. We also appreciated his candor in discussing his shortcomings and how his experiences have made him a better representative. We also noted that his legislative agenda for the next session includes the census and redistricting to ensure that the next decade of Texas is more progressive than the past. We also appreciate his service to the party and efforts in getting countless other local Democrats elected. We unanimously endorse Ron Reynolds for Texas State House Representative, District 27.
State Representative, HD 26 — Rish Oberoi
Rish was the most complete candidate we interviewed. He was the only candidate who had 1) knowledge of the statehouse, legislation, and legislature; 2) strong campaign infrastructure; and 3) local connections and understanding of the district. We were impressed by his legislative experience working for the former speaker of the Texas House, former Lt. Gov. candidate Mike Collier, understanding the bills and issues currently facing the Texas House, and a clear idea of how he would be an asset day one in the State House. He succinctly and effortlessly explained the relationship between the state legislature and local county and how Texans and Fort Bend County would benefit. Secondly, from the previous financial reports he has outraised all current candidates and all prior candidates for this race already. He has multiple staffers who are young and being fairly compensated. His experience as a staffer on high profile campaigns is clearly reflected in his campaign approach. He has the most professional and comprehensive campaign infrastructure of any local candidate by far (outside of Eliz), which is impressive considering it’s a state house race. 3) Lastly, Rish has been a long active Democrat in HD 26, helping build impressive financial infrastructures for local candidates like Sri Kulkarni, Nabila Mansoor, Mark Gibson, and Mike Collier. Rish has helped raise over a million dollars for himself and others in Fort Bend County. He and his family have deep roots in the area and his network brings new, more diverse voters to the polls. Needless to say we were impressed. We endorse Rish Oberoi for Texas State House Representative, District 26.
Fort Bend Tax Assessor-Collector — Neeta Sane
Neeta is a former elected official having served as an HCC Trustee for over a decade. She has a background in understanding the public sector, public finance, and the management of a public office. Additionally, Neeta has been a fixture in local Democratic politics for over a decade and has a deep set of relationships throughout the County. She also expressed an understanding of the Office and its limitations, acknowledging the tax assessor’s office cannot set tax policy but merely enforce it. She also expressed a desire to more community outreach for the office, educating people how to properly file taxes, what are available exemptions, and improve services for disabled,peoples, veterans, and seniors. She also wanted a more diverse staff to assist the diverse county residents. She has solid fundraising numbers for her race and is making her presence felt county-wide. We unanimously endorse Neeta Sane for Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector.
FB Commissioner, Precinct 1 — Jennifer Cantu
Jennifer expressed how she has been preparing for this race for 5 years, and her previous campaign for HD 85 already has her laying significant roots in the Precinct 1 community. Her personal narrative of living next to the coal plant and having to move grounds her passion and desire to make change in this particular race more effective. She was knowledgeable and has a holistic view about the breadth of policies and issues affecting Precinct 1, like infrastructure, growth patterns, and hospital districts. Specifically, she mentioned special district issues, funding needs for Fresno, and putting clauses in county contracts to increase county oversight. We also were impressed she has messaging ready to discredit the Republican incumbent. Her campaign has already been blockwalking and working the senior centers and retirement communities, and she has great working relationships with local activists and other candidates. We unanimously endorse Jennifer Cantu for Commissioner, Precinct 1.
FB Commissioner, Precinct 3 — Hope Martin
Hope Martin is a U.S. Air Force Veteran for eight years, and has been active in local politics for the last fifteen years. She has tremendous experience campaigning and working with others. Her vision for the office is ideal for the residents of Precinct 3. She wants to address the issues of flooding, traffic, and high taxes. She is knowledgeable about the Precinct and the shortcomings of the current commissioner who has lost lawsuits to developers costing taxpayers over $3 million. Hope understands what it takes to flip Precinct 3 blue and will commit herself to the cause. We unanimously endorse Hope Martin for Commissioner, Precinct 3.
Fort Bend County Sheriff — Eric Fagan
Eric has been running for this position for over a year. He is confident and has a thorough understanding of the current Sheriff’s Office and the issues that are currently affecting the office and county, such as the 911 dispatch dispute with the constables. He has been front and center in challenging the current Sheriff on their improper policies, and his endorsements by the largest police union show his significant support among law enforcement. Eric has 31 years of law enforcement experience and was named officer of the year three times by HPD. His practical knowledge and relationships of a law enforcement agency is easily the greatest of the three candidates. He also emphasized the need for better community relations programs like Jokes for Justice and a Citizens Review Board. Eric answered all questions directly and did not give any problematic responses. Our main concern with Eric is his campaign infrastructure. We believe Eric to be the right candidate to be the next Democratic Sheriff in Fort Bend County. We unanimously endorse Eric Fagan for Fort Bend County Sheriff.
505th District Court, Fort Bend County — Co-Rec: Kali Morgan and Daniel Lee
Daniel had the most experience of all three candidates on the types of cases that would arise before a Family District Court Judge. He has over a decade of experience, over a thousand cases as lead counsel, and has a majority of his practice that handles Divorces, Child Custody, and CPS matters, specifically in Fort Bend County. His campaign infrastructure is strong with decent fundraising and has campaign staff that is paid. He was able to articulate the issues before the court in a very compelling way. It is also important to note that Daniel is a young Dem. We co-endorse Daniel Lee for Judge of the 505th District Court, Fort Bend County.
Kali was the most personable of all three candidates. Her passion and charisma was electric and clearly her greatest asset. Her experience is broad as well and ranges from family law private practice to working for the State Bar of Texas and currently for CPS in Harris County. She discussed the issues of CPS in poor areas, issues of domestic violence, a lifetime of voting Democratic, and a willingness to learn. She is also a Young Dem. We co-endorse Kali Morgan for Judge of the 505th District Court, Fort Bend County.
Constable Precinct 2 — No Recommendation
Fort Bend County Attorney — Sonia Rash
Sonia has been running for this position for nearly a year. She has a successful civil practice and is knowledgeable of the issues the County Attorney’s Office would face. She was articulate about county contracts, civil litigation, civil rights, CPS, and talked about how underutilized the office currently is. If elected, she discussed creating a larger environmental division and mental health department as well as having the office take a more significant role against human trafficking in the County. She also discussed a strong personal narrative of being a woman of color in her field and being overlooked and wants to provide more internships and opportunities for women in government. She also discussed improving the technology in the office because they can’t even track their budget as of now. Sonia has consistently blockwalked and supported other Democratic candidates as well and has great relationships with other candidates. We endorse Sonia Rash for County Attorney of Fort Bend County.
Justice of Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1 — Cody Moore
Cody is a successful local attorney who wants to expand the role of community justice in the Southern and rural Fort Bend County areas. His vision for helping individuals who have been caught in a cycle of license issues by offering alternative payment plans like community service and/or classes in exchange for fees and fines as well as his commitment to educate and bring legal access to more communities is refreshing. His legal experience will make him a fair judge who can be patient and give accurate rulings in civil and criminal cases where the participants will likely be unrepresented by lawyers, and he will make sure that those in authoritative positions do not cut corners, especially in eviction, foreclosure, and debt cases. Cody has been active on the campaign trail and has a great working relationship with other candidates. We unanimously endorse Cody Moore for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1 in Fort Bend County.
