Macie Kelly/Houston Public Media
Pictured is the Harris County Civil Courthouse located in downtown Houston.
A Democratic candidate in the race for the 234th District Court judge in Harris County has been ruled ineligible by a judge’s order after the incumbent accused her of intimidation and using fraudulent signatures on her candidate application.
Judge Christi Kennedy on Thursday granted a temporary injunction requested by Judge Lauren Reeder, a Democrat seeking reelection this year. Kennedy’s decision bars challenger Kim McTorry from appearing on the March 3 primary ballot — at least for now.
After a court hearing Thursday, Kennedy found that McTorry’s candidate petition contained invalid signatures, according to the judge’s order, which also found that McTorry violated the Texas Election Code by trying to coerce Reeder to withdraw from the race.
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Kennedy wrote in the order that it was not a final judgment and that McTorry, a former associate judge and prosecutor, could challenge the decision.
McTorry did not immediately comment when contacted Friday by Houston Public Media. If she appeals Kennedy’s ruling, a trial will take place March 2, one day before the Democratic primary election, according to court documents.
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McTorry’s disqualification, first reported by the Houston Chronicle, comes after Reeder filed a lawsuit Monday. Reeder accused McTorry of using fraudulent signatures to become a candidate and of threatening to expose Reeder for alleged unethical conduct, court documents show.
More specifically, Reeder accused McTorry of allegedly conspiring with someone else to post a video on social media that was critical of Reeder and her reelection chances, according to court records.
On Jan. 8, McTorry allegedly sent a text message to Reeder in which she asked Reeder to withdraw from the race and endorse McTorry so that Reeder could finish her term “strong and blemish-free,” according to court documents. After Reeder did not step down, a video was posted online claiming “to expose” Reeder, court documents show. Kennedy’s order said the timing of the social media post was “unlikely to be a coincidence.”
In a statement to Houston Public Media on Friday, Reeder’s attorney said he was satisfied with the Kennedy’s order and was confident that any further challenge to her opinion would be denied.
The lawsuit names Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle as a defendant, since Doyle initially rejected Reeder’s complaint about McTorry over the signatures on her candidate petition.
Doyle said in a Friday statement to Houston Public Media that the local party would comply with court orders.
“The integrity of the ballot application process and filings are critical to our democratic primary process and our voters,” Doyle said. “Decisions about fraudulent or other illegal actions by candidates are made by the court process, not the Harris County Democratic Party.”