This candidate brings the right mix of toughness, experience to be Tarrant County DA
Crime is top of mind for voters, and they face a crucial choice on who will lead the Tarrant County district attorney’s office in a period of roiling debates on policing and punishment.
In the Republican primary, we recommend Mollee Westfall, a district court judge who also served a decade as a prosecutor. Her mix of experience, record of innovation as a judge and reputation for efficiency give her the edge over two opponents.
Westfall, 52, of Fort Worth is plenty tough on crime while embracing drug diversions and other sensible programs that seek to intervene in criminal behavior. The SWIFT program she pioneered in Tarrant County deals with probation violations as they occur. Sanctions such as a night or two in jail deliver prompt consequences without completely derailing an offender who’s trying to stay clean of drugs or otherwise get on the right path.
She’s also won kudos from lawyers on all sides for working to deal with the backlog of cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a task other courts have struggled with.
Westfall’s experience managing her court for four terms in office will be useful if she’s elected DA. The DA’s office has a turnover problem that threatens to hamper its effectiveness. In our interview with the candidates, Westfall said she would emphasize training of young lawyers to help encourage them to stay deeper into their careers.
Phil Sorrells, 57, of North Richland Hills also brings extensive bench experience. He served more than two decades as a county criminal judge before resigning to run, and he worked in the DA’s office as well. Sorrells has a reputation for efficiency, too, but he can’t match Westfall’s record as a felony judge and a manager.
State Rep. Matt Krause, who lives near Haslet, initially planned to run for attorney general but switched to the DA race when the current officeholder, Sharen Wilson, announced plans to retire. Krause, 41, is is campaigning on conservative red-meat issues, but he lacks the courtroom experience of his rivals.
If no candidate gets more than half of the total votes cast, the top two will proceed to a May 24 runoff. The winner will face one of three Democrats seeking their party’s nomination. It’s a four-year term in office.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published February 6, 2022 at 5:03 AM.