| The Austin American-Statesman has reported that State District Judge Charlie Baird of Austin will not seek re-election. Baird's announcement comes two days before the filing period is set to begin. Judge Baird says he will be leaving the court to spend more time with his family. Although he has only held his current position for one term, Baird has quickly distinguished himself. His methods had drawn fire from some, but he had established a solid reputation among Travis County Democrats. Baird's retirement is a loss for all of Travis County, however, not just Democrats. Assistant District Attorney Bill Bishop for a short time last year planned to challenge Baird in the Democratic primary. Bishop, who criticized Baird for being too lenient with sentencing, ultimately decided not to run, citing the time committment. Due to the late timing of the decision, it may be a few days or weeks before it is clear who will end up running for Baird's seat. In the end, the race could perhaps draw a candidate who is at this time running for one of the two district judge races currently being contested. Karen Sage, currently running against Cliff Brown for the 147th Court, is said to be considering moving into the race for Baird's seat. That would leave Brown unopposed. There have been rumors that former Travis County Assistant District Attorney Mindy Montford may also run for Baird's seat, likely matching her against Sage. While Montford has not publically announced she is thinking about running, if she decides to, she would start out with higher name ID than most potential rivals due to her 2008 campaign for District Attorney. She would also be able to hold of on a decision longer than most others, given her name ID and fundraising ability. When will all the hopping between judicial races stop? Well, that's what the filing deadline is for. Although it may seem like there is plenty of time, Election Day is just three months away. |
