By Suzanne Sprague, KERA 90.1 Reporter
Dallas, TX – Suzanne Sprague, Reporter: Professor Jim Riddlesperger, who teaches American politics at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, says the race for Tarrant County Sheriff just hasn't been the same since incumbent David Williams was defeated in the March primary.
Jim Riddlesperger, Professor of Political Science, Texas Christian University: Well, it certainly makes it a less sexy campaign because Sheriff Williams was the flashpoint of contention in the sheriff's office. And now that he is no longer going to be a factor, the race is not as interesting for the average voter.
Sprague: But Williams continues to be an easy target in the campaign. The outgoing Republican came under almost constant fire during his last term for ignoring county commissioners, buying big cars and guns that sat idle, and redirecting commissary funds to a Christian-only chaplaincy program. So in many ways, the remaining candidates are still comparing themselves to Williams instead of each other. Here's Republican Dee Anderson from a recent televised debate on KERA 13.
Dee Anderson, Republican Candidate for Tarrant County Sheriff: I have campaigned since day one that jail management will be my focus, that we will return from the bazookas and fast cars back to running the best jail in the state of Texas, and that's my intention.
Sprague: Democratic nominee Luther Perry also took a somewhat veiled shot at Sheriff Williams during the debate.
Luther Perry, Democratic Candidate for Tarrant County Sheriff: I think the key issue has to be communicating with the commissioners, working from an infrastructure standpoint in terms of bringing management back to a level of deserved respect.
Sprague: Perhaps Williams seems like a stealth candidate in the sheriff's election because the backgrounds of the Democratic and Republican nominees are very similar. Luther Perry is a former top community relations aide to the late Fort Worth Police Chief Thomas Wyndham. His opponent, Dee Anderson, is the spokesperson for the Arlington Police Department. Perry started a child mentoring program. Anderson helped launch the Amber Plan, which notifies the public when a child is missing. That doesn't leave a lot of room for contrasting the candidates, according to Bud Kennedy, a columnist with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Bud Kennedy, Columnist, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: And what you have essentially are two PR spokesmen from departments who are running against each other, and it's really been tough for voters to discern between the two candidates. They both know how to talk very well. I guess we'll see if either one of them knows how to manage.
Sprague: Neither candidate has overseen large staffs or budgets, but both say they're qualified to manage the $64 million Sheriff's Department because they've sat in on multi-million dollar budget sessions at their respective police departments. As for the 1200+ employees of the Sheriff's Department, Luther Perry says he doesn't anticipate making many changes.
Perry: We're going to make people feel good. We're going to train them. We're going to teach them to be good managers, and then we're going to let them operate. And if they don't, if they make mistakes, then we come in and deal with it. If they can't handle the responsibility, then we find the personnel to do that.
Sprague: Perry has tried to distinguish himself from Anderson by accusing his opponent of plotting to rid the Sheriff's Department of deputies loyal to Williams. It's a charge Anderson has denied.
Anderson: People may be moved. People may be reassigned obviously. Anyone that is there and is performing well will be welcomed to stay on.
Sprague: However, Anderson does plan to overhaul the department's top staff with his personal picks.
Anderson: It will be a professional management staff. There will be some names come on board of people, names that everyone will recognize.
Sprague: Anderson won't talk about who he's contacted, but adds voters can also expect major changes in who runs the jail chaplaincy program if he's elected.
Anderson: I do want to return it to a volunteer program, certainly the $327,000 that was siphoned off and put into a private ministry is not a good use of funds. I want those funds to return to where they belong and that's to benefit the prisoners directly for certain needs.
Sprague: Such as buying indigent inmates soap and other personal items. Sheriff Williams used that money for a paid chaplain's post. Luther Perry also wants to reform the jail chaplaincy; and his solution isn't too far off from Anderson's approach.
Perry: So what I've said is I'd like to bring in a number of folks who are experts in the field and we sit down and develop a process that we can be proud of. It's going to be one not of a singular approach, but obviously affording people an opportunity to worship and they're used to and as they're accustomed to worshiping.
Sprague: The sheriff's race hasn't been flat-out nasty, according to some observers, but it has become rather pointed as the candidates look for ways to set themselves apart. One source of contention has been party affiliation. Dee Anderson says being a Republican makes him a better manager and leader.
Anderson: If you talk about a Republican who's a fiscal conservative versus Democrats who are traditionally tax-and-spend, grow government. So I certainly would want a sheriff with the conservative values that reflect the values in Tarrant County.
Sprague: Anderson also says his partisanship makes him better qualified to work with the Tarrant County Commissioners Court, which is controlled by Republicans. Democrat Luther Perry thinks party affiliation won't matter. Perry: I have had conversations with these people and professional relationships with them. They have the utmost respect for me. And if the voters seem fit to elect a Democrat, then why would they not work with me?
Sprague: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram polled 900 Tarrant County residents earlier this month and found that, among the most likely voters, Anderson is ahead of Perry by 14 points. However, 36% of voters said they still don't know who to vote for. Early voting in Tarrant County has been heavy, but most observers attribute that to the presidential election, not the sheriff's race. However, if the county's increasingly Republican voters cast straight party ballots, then the sheriff's election could be less determined by who's running than by who tops the ticket. For KERA 90.1, I'm Suzanne Sprague.