Criminal record could impact Harris County treasurer race | What's Your Point?

Prospects looking fairly grim for most local Republicans running in Harris County for multiple reasons we've discussed in depth over the past several months. There is, however, one race where the GOP candidate has far better than a slugger's chance of busting through. I'm talking about the post of county treasurer, currently held by Democrat Carla Wyatt, who over the past three years has been arrested twice for DWI, once for burglary of a vehicle, and most recently cited for slamming into three different cars on I-45 while driving recklessly. Voters have the option of re-electing Wyatt or opting for Republican Mark Cowart, a career public servant pledging to return integrity to the treasurer's office. 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. Penalty's important to note. A grand jury declined to indict Wyatt on the burglary charge. Also, in a recent interview with the Chronicle editorial board, Wyatt contended her personal life has nothing to do with her ability to perform the office. Charles, what do you make of this race? It's mind blowing that someone who, like you said, two DUIs, a burglary of a motor vehicle. She cashed two fraudulent checks through her office, not personally, but her office did, that had flags saying do not cash these checks. Then she went and asked for a raise to $305,000. And then she just caused a four car crash on I-45, driving like a bat out of hell down into downtown. And she's still asking to be reelected, and then went before the Citizens Commission to to ask for that raise of $305,000. So she has no remorse for anything that she's done, which is absolutely ridiculous. But it does make me glad that Harris County Republican Party and Louie LaRotta, a citizen, filed a lawsuit last week to have her removed from office, citing a petition, excuse me, to have her removed from office, citing her drinking as a big problem. Because under, I think it's Title Chapter 87 or something like that, elected officials can be removed for intoxication, not necessarily intoxication while in office or while serving their duty, just intoxication in general. I think she showed that she can't handle the office. Sue Love, you've been a Democrat all your adult life. I suspect there will be some Democrats who actually cross over in this race. Oh, I think there will. But I thought they were going to abolish that office. I've been talking about it. They were supposed to do it. Not soon enough. Yeah, so, you know, my suggestion is do it. Do it right away. And this petition about people that drink, the elected officials, wait a minute. I don't think they want to go there because I think there's a lot of elected officials that might be kind of, you know, sort of not wanting that to happen, there are. It's not. But I think they ought to do away with the office abolish and take care of the problem. Evidently, we don't need it anymore. But the legislature has to do that. Right. You know, so it's going to be around for a while. And there is an argument to be made to having an independent watchdog not be beholden to the commissioners as an appointee, but to the voters' bill. Yeah, I'm ambivalent about whether we need the office or not. But I've known Carla for a long time. She's obviously got a serious substance abuse problem. And I would really encourage her to step down and go get her substance abuse issues addressed and then come back. Dr. Lita, your thoughts? Yeah, I think she's going to win. I mean, look who's talking. Some candidates are seriously flawed, the president, attorney general, et cetera, et cetera. But the party's going to vote for her. But I do suggest that after she wins, that the commissioners court do something, perhaps put someone in there as an interim and make sure she gets some help. Yeah, Bob, I mean, she asked for that raise and almost an admonishment. Democratic commissioners voted not to give her the raise. And rightly so. It's one of the few spending bills they actually didn't have a taste for, for some reason. You know, her statement that her ethics and her personal decisions have nothing to do with her performance as county treasurer is just absurd. You know, she's clearly indicated that her life is out of control and that she can't manage her own affairs. How can she be expected to manage ours? Yeah, go ahead. As you said, there's people who are sitting in jail for far less than what she has done during her one term as treasurer. And yet she's asking for reelection and for a pay increase. Yet you have people across Texas sitting in jail for far less than what she's done. And so I think it's just, it's disgusting. We're going to leave it there. Still ahead, it's going to be a close one. Paxton versus Talarico with both candidates for U.S. Senate scrambling for every possible vote.