‘I don’t think he knows exactly what’s going on:’ Court experience splits Tarrant DA candidates
Experience is a concern in just about every political campaign. But in the Republican runoff for Tarrant County district attorney, it’s the main issue.
The candidates, longtime judge Phil Sorrells and state Rep. Matt Krause, have few substantive policy differences. They seem to genuinely get along. They tout different sets of endorsements (more on that in a moment), but they don’t differ a great deal in priorities.
But at a candidate forum Monday in Fort Worth, Sorrells, a former prosecutor, drew a sharp distinction over who’s most ready to replace two-term Republican DA Sharen Wilson. Krause, he argued, lacks the courtroom background for the job. (Full disclosure: Yours truly moderated the event.)
“If you need a lawyer to go to the courthouse to defend our community, work on keeping our community safe, you need to send me,” Sorrells told the Cowtown Republican Women group. “This is serious business. It’s not a time [for], ‘Well, let me get over there and figure out what exactly goes on at the district attorney’s office.’ ”
Sorrells wasn’t done.
“I don’t think he knows exactly what’s going on in the district attorney’s office,” he said of Krause. “He’s got a lot of book knowledge … but he hasn’t been applying any of those things in the courtroom.”
The candidates have appeared together nearly a dozen times, so Krause, whose legal career has focused mostly on constitutional issues, had a solid answer ready.
“You know who the last individual was who they said had little to no courtroom experience before becoming DA? He’s got his name up on the criminal justice center now,” Krause said.
He was referring to Tim Curry, who held the job for more than three decades. What he didn’t say is that Curry had ample experience in trials as a criminal defense attorney; Krause can’t even claim that.
Krause also cited something he said Wilson told him, that the job is more about policy direction and honest leadership than courtroom duties. And he parried with humor. When I asked him if anything in Sorrells’ record should give voters pause, Krause quipped: “Well, he’s not me.”
There are other fault lines in the contest. Krause is a favorite of conservative evangelical Christians who have long been active in the GOP. And Sorrells drew the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, while Krause touts the backing of Sen. Ted Cruz. A primary runoff generally draws low turnout, so it’s hard to say how the race will break.
Both Krause and Sorrells have a point: District attorney is a management and policy job. The DA isn’t going to dive deep into the prosecution of many cases. But if you owned a business, would you hire a manager who had never done the type of work his subordinates did every day? Would you use a plumbing company run by someone who had never plugged a leak?
That’s what Tarrant County Republicans have to decide.
The winner will face Democrat Tiffany Burks, another veteran prosecutor. So, if it’s Krause, get ready for a similar debate in the fall.
Editor’s note: A version of this column originally appeared in our opinion newsletter, Worth Discussion. It’s delivered every Wednesday with a fresh take on the news and a roundup of our best editorials, columns and other opinion content. Sign up here.
