Harris County treasurer challenged for her seat

All right, we want to talk about a local race that that is getting some higher-than-usual attention, okay? And it's kind of based on the behavior of the incumbent that's happening. Not necessarily associated with the job, but there's some impact there, right? Political reporter Greg Rubin joining us now. We're talking about the Harris County treasurer. Yeah, Anthony, we are talking about Democrat Carla Wyatt, an elected officeholder who's found herself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Now, four reasons to be exact. over the past four years, Wyatt has been arrested for driving while intoxicated twice and arrested for burglary of a vehicle once, a charge that was later dropped. Most recently, Wyatt was criminally cited for causing a multi-vehicle crash after driving recklessly and slamming into three different cars on I-45. In what was clearly a very public admonishment, But Harris County commissioners rejected Wyatt's recent request for a $165,000 pay raise. This November, she faces Republican and veteran public servant Mark Cowart. The Harris County treasurer is the chief custodian of Harris County's funds. We're talking about billions of dollars flowing through those coffers. I wouldn't hand over my own personal checkbook to someone who's accused of burglary, much less Harris County's billions of dollars. taxpayers deserve a financial watchdog that they can trust to watch over their finances as for support among Harris County commissioners for the complete abolishment of the treasurer's office Mark Cowart says that's a bad idea that would eliminate important oversight over public funds I believe that we need like you say checks and balances, we need an independent set of eyes on the money that's not beholden to a commissioner's court, for example, because the duties don't go away. You still have to have someone doing the duties. So the question is, do you want that person elected and accountable to the voters, or do you want them appointed and beholden to another entity? For her part, Carla Wyatt recently told the Eastern Chronicle's editorial board that her personal life has nothing to do with her ability to do her job, and further suggested that the string of arrests were potentially linked to law enforcement following her. Anthony, no surprise, the Chronicle has endorsed Mark Howard. All right, Greg, thank you so much.