LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A hearing next week will consider Jason Corley’s lawsuit seeking to re-instate him as Precinct 2 Lubbock County commissioner.
Corley filed a lawsuit late Monday, after County Judge Curtis Parrish removed him from office.
Texas 237th District Court Judge Les Hatch recused himself. Visiting Senior Judge Patrick Pirtle, formerly of the Seventh Court of Appeals in Amarillo, has been assigned to the case.
Judge Pirtle denied Corley’s request for a temporary restraining order. He did rule that Corley’s request for an expeditious hearing on his application for temporary injunction “is warranted and should be granted.”
A hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 19 in the 237th District Court. Corley’s legal action is filed against Mark Meurer, the man Parrish swore into office as Precinct 2 commissioner Monday.
COVERAGE DEC. 8: County Judge Parrish removes Commissioner Corley from office; Corley says move ‘corrupt power play,’ files lawsuit
Removal from office
Parrish claimed Corley became a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in November, when he announced an exploratory committee. Parrish cited state law, that a county commissioner or several other elected officials automatically resign when becoming a candidate for another office more than one year and 30 days before his or her term ends. Corley’s term runs through December 31, 2026.
In the lawsuit, Corley calls Parrish’s justification to remove him an “extremely broad” and an “erroneous application” of the “Resign to Run” law. Corley insists he didn’t resign his office because he did not file for candidacy for U.S. House of Representatives until the law no longer applied.
On December 2, Corley made the announcement he is seeking the Republican nomination for TX-19, following Rep. Jodey Arrington’s announcement he will not seek re-election.
‘Corrupt Power Play’
Corley is asking the court to issue an order declaring him commissioner once again and to remove Meurer.
Corley posted a statement on social media Monday calling Judge Parrish’s actions an “outrageous and politically driven stunt to silence the strongest advocate for accountability in Lubbock County government.”
Corley called the move a “corrupt power grab” that will not stand. Corley wrote the people, “not a weak and threatened judge” have the right to decide who represents them.
Statements
In a statement Monday, Judge Parrish outlined Corley’s actions with a timeline:
“Commissioner Corley has sent emails to several individuals stating he is a candidate for Congress. In an email on November 12, 2025, to media outlets across Texas, Mr. Corley stated he was forming an exploratory committee to assess the level of public support for his campaign for Congress. This email was sent by Jason Corley from a ‘Corley for Congress’ email address. Attached to the press release were two ‘Corley for Congress’ campaign graphics, a ‘Corley for Congress’ post office box address in Slaton, and a medica contact person also using a ‘Corley for Congress’ email address.”
Below is the full statement released by Corley’s campaign in response Monday morning:
This morning, Judge Curtis Parrish orchestrated an outrageous and politically driven stunt meant to silence the strongest advocate for accountability in Lubbock County government by removing Commissioner Jason Corley from the seat voters elected him to.
Jason Corley followed the law to the letter. Before filing, he consulted multiple attorneys to make sure his candidacy complied with every detail of Texas election law. The claim that forming an exploratory committee somehow triggered the ‘Resign-to-Run’ rule is absurd, desperate, and reeks of political manipulation.
Curtis Parrish knows Jason Corley has exposed waste, fought laziness in county leadership, and demanded results for taxpayers. Parrish has spent years dodging responsibility while Jason rolled up his sleeves to get things done. Now, faced with growing public disapproval, Parrish is using his position to punish the one man unafraid to call him out.
This corrupt power grab will not stand. Corley isn’t going anywhere—because the people of Lubbock County know who’s been fighting for them and who’s been hiding behind politics.
‘The voters—not a weak and threatened judge—have the right to decide who represents them,’ said the Corley Campaign. ‘Curtis Parrish can try to remove Jason from office, but he can’t remove the truth. Jason Corley has been the loudest, toughest watchdog for taxpayers—and that fight isn’t ending today.’
Legal options are being pursued immediately, and the campaign will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with voters demanding honest, accountable government. This blatant political attack only proves one thing: Jason Corley’s leadership has them scared.
Jason Corley for Congress – Fearless. Proven. Unbought.”
Copyright 2025 KCBD. All rights reserved.