The time to have spoken about conservative values was in 2016, not 2026, writes a Chronicle letter writer about former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
Kristi Nix / Staff photo
Conservatism
Regarding “Ed Emmett: My fellow Texas Republicans: Go vote. But vote wisely.” (Oct. 20): With all due respect to former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, he is 10 years too late. In 2018, he lost an election he should have never lost. He took his opponent too lightly and was silent as a mouse when the leader of his party desecrated its conservative values. So forgive me when I say Emmett is $40 trillion and a decade too late to save his own party. The time to have spoken about conservative values was in 2016, not 2026.
John Cobarruvias, Houston
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Judge troubles
Regarding “Voters should remove Johnson and Fleischer from the misdemeanor bench | Endorsement,” (Oct. 13): As a newly registered voter trying to do my part, I am flying home from college in Colorado to vote in the upcoming midterms.
Having read this article, I am appalled at Judge David Fleischer’s behavior. A judge marketed on YouTube video titles as furious, “losing it” and “DESTROYING DEFENDANTS” is frankly disturbing. He claims the YouTube channel is for “educational purposes,” but upon further inspection, the channel is monetized.
It seems as though Fleischer is in the courtroom, not searching for justice, but instead for a thumbnail to entice online viewers into engaging with the page. Any judge who has merch of themselves should not be sitting on the bench.
Annabelle Nguyen, Houston
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Endorsements
Regarding “Harris County voters should keep these 12 misdemeanor court judges | Endorsement” (Oct. 13): Thank you for the detailed information on criminal court judge candidates. The reasoning behind the screening question about why their opponent should be ousted is certainly unique. I also appreciate the positive comments about some opponents.
Regarding “Which Texans does Greg Abbott serve? Gina Hinojosa for governor. (Oct. 13): Gina Hinojosa is my choice! I voted for Gov. Greg Abbott and believed in him in his first term. He had his chance to help Texas, and he sold us out. It’s time to give someone else a chance.
Sheryl Pickering, Houston
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Regarding “For county clerk: Teneshia Hudspeth | Endorsement,” (Sept. 28): Teneshia Hudspeth is amazing and clear-eyed. We need more leaders like her.
Regarding “For Commissioner of Agriculture: Nate Sheets,” (Sept. 30): Clayton Tucker may sound a lot like Jim Hightower, but he will also support Texas farmers, healthy school lunches, immigrant farm workers and protect the rural communities from data centers’ abuse of water and noise.
Deal-breaker
Regarding “Brian Babin’s record is stained but he delivers for Houston and merits another term | Endorsement,” (Oct. 15): For the first time in my life, I will not be voting for any Republicans, and especially Brian Babin. His role in the Jan. 6 insurrection should make him ineligible to run for office. He, along with most, if not all, Republican members of Congress, have repeatedly violated their oaths of office.
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Regarding “For Texas Christians, the Paxton-Talarico race is a test of priorities,” (Oct. 18): My parents raised us on the conservative values of hard work, self-sufficiency and caring for people in need. I knew where we stood politically: Christians voted Republican, and I never thought to question it.
I went to church my whole life, but I didn’t take my faith seriously until trouble in high school led me to open the Bible for myself. I wasn’t looking for a political philosophy. I was looking for God, and I found Him.
Exploring the New Testament, I noticed this Jesus guy talked a whole lot about the poor. He spoke about sacrificing for other people and showing empathy to everyone, no matter their story. He welcomed the outcast, healed the sick and saved his harsh words for the arrogant and the greedy.
Following Jesus means serving people, not gaining power. When Ken Paxton uses my faith as a political weapon, it makes me furious, because he has made a career of putting himself first. Grace is for everyone. A U.S. Senate seat is not.
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That’s why James Talarico feels like a breath of fresh air to me. Since my first presidential election in 2016, I’ve mostly voted against people, picking the lesser of two evils. Talarico is someone I can vote for: a humble, faithful man who seems to understand that following Jesus means caring for others. Plenty of lifelong Republicans, including my parents, have reconsidered how their faith can extend to their politics. It’s time to start flipping tables.