AUSTIN, Texas — Democratic candidate Andy Brown comfortably won the election for Travis County judge on Tuesday, taking 70% of the vote and defeating his opponent, Republican Michael Lovins.
Brown will replace Sarah Eckhardt, who was recently sworn into the Texas Senate. Eckhardt announced her resignation from the position of County judge in March. Meanwhile, interim Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe took over.
According to his website, Brown is the former Travis County Democratic Party Chair and served as finance director and senior advisor to Senate and presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke.
Brown spoke to KVUE on Tuesday night.
"Biggest priority is criminal justice reform and looking at ways to make the community safer, and I think that those ways are investing more in health care and mental health and behavioral health – in particular, making sure that people have access to health care across Travis County, whether they're in Manor or Austin's Colony or Del Valley, and then investing in transportation, cleaning up our environment and in finding a way to bring jobs back post-COVID," said Brown.
Brown elaborated on how he feels he could make an impact on the criminal justice system in Travis County as judge.
"A lot of people don't realize that the jail, the Travis County jail, is the single largest line item expense of the Travis County budget. And that, I don't think reflects the community's values, and I know it doesn't reflect my values," said Brown. "I want to do everything I can to continue the work that we've done on the Sobering Center of diverting people away from the jail who don't need to be there and instead finding ways to invest in mental health and behavioral health and options that help really keep our communities safer and don't needlessly put people in jail. And I think the more that we can work together on those goals, the the better we will do at reducing the jail population and changing our budget priorities at Travis County."
He also said he would follow the advice of local health officials when it comes to a plan for reopening bars in Travis County during the coronavirus pandemic.
"So I think we're all focused on ways to bring back our economy, ways to get through COVID and to do so safely. And that's going to be my biggest priority, is looking at science, looking at a way to get through COVID safely," Brown said. "And so what I would do is consult with the leaders in Travis County, the Austin Health Department, the Austin Health Authority, and make a decision based on their recommendations, based on science and based on the best way to get through COVID safely and quickly here in Travis County."
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: