Experience counts in GOP runoff for Tarrant district attorney. Here’s our recommendation

Matt Krause and Phil Sorrells don’t disagree on much. As Tarrant County district attorney, they would probably have similar policies and goals.

But there’s a clear difference between the two: relevant experience. Sorrells, a former prosecutor and judge, has it. Krause does not. A time of rising crime, especially gun violence, and difficult criminal justice issues is no time for learning on the job. We recommend that GOP voters nominate Sorrells.

The 57-year-old North Richland Hills resident was a county criminal court judge for decades before leaving the bench to run for DA. Before that, he was a Tarrant County prosecutor. Intimate knowledge of how the system works will be crucial to clearing up backlogs of cases that built up during the pandemic and setting priorities going forward.

Krause, a 41-year-old state representative and lawyer who lives near Haslet, has solid leadership credentials. But he’s never been involved in criminal law, as a prosecutor or defense attorney. His legal experience has been in areas such as religious liberty cases.

There’s something to be said for bringing legislative experience to the table. In the House, Krause has been involved in the major issues of the day.

But prosecutors and other observers have increasingly talked about morale and turnover problems in the office under retiring Republican Sharen Wilson. The next DA will need to focus on day-to-day management, including making sure young lawyers see a career path worth remaining a prosecutor so the office maintains necessary experience.

Krause argues that the DA’s role is to set policy and provide leadership to the office. But it’s tough for a manager to pull that off if he or she can’t directly engage with subordinates’ specific work. It’s simply a matter of credibility.

Criminal-law experience will be vital in directing the office on policy, too. The next DA will need to balance a necessary crackdown on violent crime with sensible policies that allow for rehabilitation where practical and doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the over-incarceration of the 1990s.

Rising crime prompts voters to look for a tough-on-crime candidate. But a skilled DA can lead an office that aggressively prosecutes violent crime while continuing progress on, for example, drug rehabilitation for low-level offenses rather than prison time.

Judgment and focus will be crucial if, as a leaked draft Supreme Court decision indicates, Roe v. Wade is overturned and Texas bans most abortions. It’ll fall to DAs to decide how many resources to dedicate to prosecuting doctors who break the law. Texas Republican lawmakers, like some in other states have suggested, might also make it illegal to provide various forms of assistance to a woman seeking an abortion, such as funding transportation to a pro-choice state.

Sorrells and Krause are both pro-life, but either, if elected, should use discretion to focus on violent crime and other serious offenses.

Both pledged in a recent candidate forum not to prosecute women who seek or obtain abortions, should the state make women chargeable under the law. Voters should hold them to it.

In the initial primary vote in March, we recommended Mollee Westfall based on her recent experience as a felony court judge. She came in third, behind Sorrells’ (nearly 41% of the vote) and Krause (31%). We’re confident, though, that Sorrells is ready for the job on Day One.

The campaign has turned on some red-meat Republican issues, including election integrity. And it’s a rare local race in which President Donald Trump has endorsed. He’s backing Sorrells, while Krause boasts the support of Sen. Ted Cruz and Sheriff Bill Waybourn.

Early voting is May 16-20, and Election Day is May 24. The runoff winner will face Democrat Tiffany Burks in the November general election. They’ll battle for a four-year term.