Current Dallas County commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia is now the sole candidate running for precinct 4 after multiple felony convictions excluded her primary challenger from the race.
Licensed counselor Pedra Geter acknowledged she had been convicted of multiple felonies when she filed to run against Garcia, but did not file documentation to prove she was pardoned for the charges — which is required by state law to hold public office in Texas.
Dallas County court records show she was sentenced for several felonies, including fraud, forgery and reckless conduct.
Public records also suggest Geter was involved in dozens of other non-felony offenses in various counties, but the Texas election code only requires pardons for felony charges.
Kardal Coleman, chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, said even candidates with just one felony cannot run for public office.
"As the filing authority, we've made our ruling," he said. "Her application was rejected."
Coleman says eligibility challenges are common every election cycle. Roughly half a dozen applications have been challenged and are being reviewed for the upcoming primary.
Geter said she plans to appeal the decision because she served her time and was released from her sentence, citing the state election code.
"What it states is: To be eligible for public or elected office, a candidate must not have been finally convicted of a felony from which the individual has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities," she said. "I have been released from the resulting disability."
The Texas Constitution also bars anyone who's been convicted of bribery, perjury, forgery or other high crimes from holding office.
Geter said she has worked tirelessly on mental health and homelessness efforts and should be allowed to serve.
"I am every day, boots on the ground, in these particular areas with the people with homelessness knocking on doors," she said. "So how can you come and say, 'Oh, now all of a sudden, you're not worthy to step in this position,' but we have another county commissioner that was locked up, on the news, federal cases, everything."
Geter's referencing County Judge John Wiley Price, who faced charges in 2017 for allegedly accepting nearly $1 million in bribes in exchange for insider information and voting favorably for certain projects.
The jury in the federal corruption trial found him not guilty on seven of the 11 counts, including bribery and mail fraud. They were deadlocked on the other four charges.
Commissioner Garcia told KERA News she had no comment about the election or Geter's candidacy.
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