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Governor Rick Perry has decided he can't risk alienating the last bastion of metropolitan Republican voting strength that is Tarrant County by making a controversial political appointment to fill the vacant District Attorney's seat left open by the recent death of Tim Curry.
Well-placed sources in Tarrant County confirm that Joe Shannon, Head of Economic Crimes, will be Perry's safe choice to fill the remainder of Curry's term with assurances that he will not run for his own term in 2010. If that is the case--Shannon not seeking his own term--then it is a safe bet that the Republican powers-that-be in Tarrant County will line up behind Robert K. Gill in what will likely turn out to be a nasty GOP primary. Perry appointing Shannon will ensure he does not alienate key GOP leaders in Tarrant County when he will need all the Republican strength and support he can muster to fend off Kay Bailey Hutchison. Gill has been the odds on favorite amongst Tarrant Republican leaders to eventually replace Curry for several years.
Speculation now turns toward who the Democrats will field against the Republicans in the 2010 District Attorney race. Much of the chatter has centered on Terri Moore, a former federal prosecutor, two-time Democratic candidate for Tarrant County District Attorney, and currently Assistant District Attorney to Craig Watkins in Dallas. However, Moore is considered to be a top candidate for U.S. attorney in the North Texas region by the Obama Administration.
Moore first ran for Tarrant County District Attorney against Curry in 2002, nabbing 46% of the vote in a county that voted 58% straight Republican. Moore ran once more in 2006 picking up 47% of the vote in a year, again, with 58% straight Republican voting. Terri is arguably the best candidate that Democrats could field in 2010, and with no entrenched incumbent in the field, would likely be the odds-on favorite to win the race. She has incredible crossover appeal and has been the only Democrat in more than a decade to come close to winning a countywide election in Tarrant. Having said that, and considering Moore is likely to take the U.S. attorney job if offered, any other Democrat who considers a countywide race in Tarrant has an uphill climb ahead of them. The name heard most frequently outside of Terri's is Fort Worth attorney Larry Moore (no relation).
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