AUSTIN, Texas — After Travis County Attorney David Escamilla announced retirement when his term ends in 2020, two candidates vied for the Democratic nomination in a July runoff.
Now, Laurie Eiserloh has conceded the race to her opponent, Delia Garza. As of 11:45 p.m. on July 14, Garza is leading Eiserloh 57% to 43%, with 59% of precincts reporting.
"I congratulate Delia Garza on her victory in the Travis County Attorney’s race. I wish her all the best in serving in this important county office," Eiserloh said in a statement. "I also extend my sincere gratitude to the Travis County community for their support and engagement during the campaign. It has been a great honor to work with so many amazing people and create a shared vision for Travis County. Although these may be difficult times for so many in our community, I have great faith that we will get through these times and emerge even stronger."
Eiserloh and Garza faced each other in a runoff because none of the four candidates from the March primary election garnered more than 50% of the votes. Eiserloh and Garza beat out Mike Denton and Dominic Selvera with 42% and 39% of the votes in the March primary election, respectively.
According to the city website, the Travis County attorney:
- Prosecutes misdemeanor crimes
- Obtains protective orders for victims of domestic violence
- Obtains involuntary commitments for certain mentally ill persons
- Advises the elected officials of Travis County regarding their official duties
Delia Garza is a former Austin City Council member and former Mayor Pro Tempore. Garza began her public service in Austin as a firefighter and represented the Austin Firefighters Association Local 975 in contract negotiations for fair wages and safer working conditions.
Garza left Austin in 2007 to attend Gonzaga University School of Law. She graduated from Gonzaga and then served as an assistant attorney general in the Child Support Division of the Office of the Attorney General. Garza was then elected to Austin City Council, becoming the first Latina to serve on city council. She was also the first Latina to serve as mayor pro tem. During her time on the Austin City Council, Garza helped reform Austin’s municipal court to stop incarcerating people who could not afford a misdemeanor fine.
As county attorney, Garza said she will:
- End the cash bail system in Travis County.
- Pursue litigation against statewide leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton. She touts her role in the City of Austin’s lawsuits against Abbott and Paxton relating to immigration enforcement.
- “Stop prosecuting poverty”: The Garza-affiliated “Draft Delia” campaign explains, “When people lose their jobs because of needless time in jail, we put them and their family’s financial security in jeopardy. Sometimes, people even get deported because they’re unnecessarily jailed for a minor offense.”
Garza will run unopposed in the November election and will be a shoo-in to replace Escamilla for Travis County attorney.
MORE ELECTION COVERAGE:
- MJ Hegar to face Sen. John Cornyn in November
- Justin Berry claims victory, will face Rep. Vikki Goodwin in November for Texas House District 47
- Carrie Isaac claims victory, will face Rep. Erin Zwiener in November election for District 45
- Mike Siegel claims victory, will face U.S. Rep. McCaul in November for U.S. House District 10
- Donna Imam to face Rep. John Carter in Texas’s 31 Congressional District election
- Dallas attorney and engineer defeats former state representative in Texas Railroad Commission runoff
- Travis County DA Margaret Moore concedes race to opponent José Garza
- Pete Sessions, Rick Kennedy to face off for Texas’ Congressional District 17 in November election
- Speech pathologist defeats controversial State Board of Education candidate in District 5 Republican runoff