The only Democrat who filed to run against District 4 County Commissioner Elba Garcia in the March 3 primary has been disqualified due to decades-old felony convictions.
The Dallas County Democratic Party removed Pedra Geter from the ballot after she did not show she obtained pardons legally required to hold office, according to chair Kardal Coleman. The removal leaves Garcia sailing into a fifth term with no primary or general election challenger.
Between 1998 and 2004, Geter, 51, was convicted of seven felonies in Dallas County, including forgery, fraud and tampering with government records, according to court filings. Her sentences ranged from probation to two years in state jail, court records show.
To be eligible for public office in Texas, a person convicted of a felony must receive a pardon or be “otherwise released from the resulting disabilities,” according to the election code. Geter said she completed all sentences and probation related to those cases and believed she had no pending legal disabilities under state law.
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But a 2019 attorney general opinion states that “a release from the disabilities resulting from a conviction” is not automatic after the completion of a sentence. The opinion states a person is released from disabilities if they receive an executive pardon or if a judge sets aside a verdict dismissing the charging instrument — neither of which occurred in Geter’s cases.
Pedra Geter was removed from the March 3 primary ballot by the Dallas County Democratic Party.
Pedra Geter
In a statement to The Dallas Morning News, Geter said she is “evaluating all remedies available” to address the party’s decision. She said she is “doing the work required to address any remaining questions under the law” and plans to run again in the next election.
In the decades since her convictions, Geter said she has earned higher education degrees, advocated for mental health and housing reforms, and partnered with faith-based and government entities to better her community. She said she accepted responsibility and used her experience as “a catalyst for lasting change.”
“This situation raises a broader issue about whether people who have paid their debt, followed the law, and dedicated their lives to helping others should be permanently defined by their earliest mistakes,” Geter said. “I believe in accountability, transparency, and redemption and my life’s work reflects those values.”
Commissioner Elba Garcia speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Dallas.
Rebecca Slezak / Staff Photographer
Garcia, who was first elected to the Commissioners Court in November 2010, declined to comment on Geter’s disqualification.
Geter’s campaign website describes her as “a postdoctoral clinical psychologist” and an evangelical preacher. According to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council database, she is not licensed to practice psychology in the state.
She said she has obtained academic degrees in psychology and related fields and is preparing to complete the Texas licensing process but has not represented herself as a licensed psychologist.
Geter said her record reflects consistent public service and she intends to continue that work in her next run for office.
“I’ve been transparent about my past, compliant with the law for many years and I am taking the steps necessary to ensure there is no ambiguity going forward,” Geter said.