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Democratic
judges are
optimistic
They're hoping to end
GOP's local domination
By Anne Belli
Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
Democratic judges may soon be
off the endangered species list in
Dallas County.
For more than a decade, only two
- Dallas appeals court Judges Ron
Chapman and Annette Stewart -
have consistently survived elections.
Republican jurists, bouyed by a con-
servative electorate, have come to
dominate the courthouse.
But Democratic officials say they
have high hopes that seven judges
appointed this year by Gov. Ann
Richards will hold on to their jobs
after the November elections. Even
Republicans acknowledge that the
days of easy victories at the court-
house may be over.
"We've got our work cut out for
us," Dallas County Republican Party
Chairman Bob Driegert said of the
judicial races. "It does look like they
will be close."
Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton's popu-
larity nationally and in Texas is a
big reason yfor the Democratic
Please see CLINTON'S on Page 28A.
race," said state District Judge Jerry
Birdwell, a felony judge who is op-
posed by Republican lawyer John
Nelms in the race for the 195th Dis-
trict Court. And Mr. Clinton's force
in Dallas County is growing, in
Judge Birdwell's estimation.
Judge Jeff Kaplan of the appeals
court said he has the same feeling.
"All I can tell you is I've seen a
whole lot more Clinton-Gore bumper
stickers than Bush-Quayle," said the
judge, who is being challenged by
Republican lawyer Will Barber.
According to a recent Dallas
Morning News poll, 42 percent of the
respondents in Texas favored Mr.
Clinton, compared with 40 percent
for President Bush.
In Dallas and surrounding coun-
ties, however, Mr. Bush was favored
by 45 percent of the respondents, and
Mr. Clinton had the support of 36
percent. The counties surveyed were
Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Ellis
and Kaufman. The poll, conducted of
1,027 registered voters between Aug.
30 and Sept. 3, had a margin of error
of 3.5 percentage points.
Indeed, several Republican chal-
lengers to the Democratic judges say
that although Mr. Clinton may be
ahead nationally, how he does
locally is what really matters in the
judicial elections. And Dallas County
will remain a Republican strong-
hold, they predict.
"I don't think we are going to see
a mass exodus from the Republican
Party," said Dallas lawyer Jim Pruitt,
who is trying to unseat Democratic
state District Judge John Creuzot.
Birdwell. And in close races, grass-
roots campaigning can make all the
difference, he and others said.
"I cannot sit back and just count
on being of a particular party and
win," said Judge Creuzot, who has
raised more than $100,000 for his
high-profile campaign.
Added state District Judge Jan
Hemphill, who is being challenged
by Republican prosecutor Janice
Warder: "I don't think you can de-
pend on everybody who votes for
Clinton to vote for me. I've gone to as
many speaking engagements as pos-
sible, and we are going to do some
direct mail."
Ms. Warder also has been hot on
the campaign trail.
"From the very beginning, I have
not taken this race for granted at
all," she said. "I'm meeting as many
different people as I can and appear-
ing to as many civic groups as possi-
ble."
Appeals court Judge Barbara
Rosenberg, who is being challenged
by Republican state District Judge
Jack Hampton, has at least one cam-
paign appearance a day.
"I always thought that if a judicial
candidate ran a grass-roots cam-
paign, then it's possible to win, even
in a Republican county," Judge
Rosenberg said.
Other candidates say, however,
that no matter how much campaign-
ing is done between now and Nov. 3,
the next lot of county judges proba-
bly will be selected based on their
party affiliations.
Clinton's
Continued from Page 21A.
judges' optimism. Party officials say
that if the Democratic presidential
candidate has a strong showing, the
local candidates can't help benefit-
ing.
"The better Clinton does, the bet-
ter they will do,'' said Dallas County
Democratic Chairman Ken Molberg.
"I don't think you can overstate"
the effects, said 5th District Court of
Appeals Judge Kevin Wiggins, who
faces Republican state District Judge
Joe Morris. "I think it's pretty much
determinative."
Because judicial races are listed
on the bottom of the ballot, voters
tend to vote for candidates of the
same party as those at the top of the
ballot, candidates and officials of
both parties agree.
"I would say the top of the ticket
is going to be the biggest force in my
lead gives Democratic judges high
hopes, party officials say
"I agree that the national ticket is
going to have an effect on the judi-
cial races," he said. "But we saw Ann
Richards win in Dallas County two
years ago, and even the people that
didn't vote for the Republican voted
for Republican judicial candidates."
Mr. Nelms, the Republican seek-
ing to unseat Judge Birdwell, also
said he wasn't too concerned with
the national polls.
"My sense is that Dallas is still a
Republican county," he said. "I don't
believe the national political climate
is of any great importance."
Still, like virtually every other
judicial candidate, ,Mr. Nelms is ex-
pecting a close race against Judge
"I don't feel like there is a lot that
the candidates are going to do be-
tween now and Election Day," said
Republican state District Judge Da-
vid Brooks, who is trying to unseat
Judge Chapman. "I think that proba-
bly a substantial percentage of the
voters will make their decision on
the basis of party."
In an odd election year, however,
anything can happen, at least one
candidate said.
"Well, maybe we all help the na-
tional ticket," Mr. Barber said.
H
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