This Fort Worth council candidate convicted of armed robbery is eligible for office
Erik Richerson, a candidate for Fort Worth City Council whose eligibility was in question because of a felony conviction from more than 20 years ago, can be elected to office, the city secretary said Tuesday.
Richerson, 39, was convicted of robbing a couple of $160 with an unloaded 9-mm handgun in Washington state in 1999. He was 17 at the time.
On April 16 Fort Worth City Secretary Mary Kayser ruled Richerson was ineligible for office after being presented documents confirming his conviction. But on Tuesday Kayser reversed the decision after reviewing evidence that Richerson’s rights had been restored.
State law prohibits people with felonies from running unless they have been pardoned or had their full citizenship rights restored, but does not specify all means by which felons can restore them. The state code says candidates must be pardoned from their felonies or “otherwise released from the resulting disabilities.” Lawmakers have in recent years proposed clarifying or eliminating the line.
In her letter to Richerson, Kayser said an order of discharge, signed by Snohomish County Washington Judge Cassandra Lopez-Shaw restores his civil rights effective Thursday, in time to be eligible for Saturday’s election.
“I hereby declare you eligible to run as a candidate for the office of Council Member for District 9 in the City of Fort Worth,” Kayser wrote.
Richerson has maintained that his rights have been fully restored, noting that he is a registered voter. On his campaign Facebook page, he has said he would deliver evidence that he is eligible.
In an email to the Star-Telegram, Richerson questioned the validity of the May 1 result in District 9, calling the back-and-forth of his eligibility “election interference.”
“Now more than ever, every vote counts - a vote for justice,” he said.
Through Monday, nearly 2,200 people had cast early votes in District 9, according to the Tarrant County Election Administration’s early voting report. Early voting ends Tuesday.
He recently appeared on stage at Mercy Culture, an evangelical church north of downtown, with mayoral candidate Steve Penate. Behind them, a giant red sign read “visit stevepenateformayor.com.” Senior lead pastor Landon Schott rallied support for the pair and called on congregation to take on City Hall.
Schott, in a video of the service posted on Richerson’s Facebook page, argued to worshipers that the attempt to remove him from the ballot had less to do with his criminal conviction and more to do with Richerson being a conservative Christian.
“This has nothing to do with politics, he was disqualified because he says ‘I stand on biblical values,’” Schott said.
Even if Richerson had remained ineligible, his name would have stayed on the ballot, Kayser previously said.
Another District 9 candidate, Darien George, told the Star-Telegram earlier this month that he would withdraw from the race after he faced criticism for aggressive behavior that included directing profanity at another candidate after a Near Southside forum. George said he had faced harassment of his own.
In Arlington, mayoral candidate Jerry Warden was kicked of the ballot after opponent Jim Ross lodged a complaint. Warden has multiple felony convictions and a lifetime registration in the state’s sex offender registry. He told the Star-Telegram that his rights had been restored.
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 3:51 PM.
