Jim Sharp, Democratic candidate for Texas Supreme Court Place 3, discusses the race

On election day in November, 1st Court of Appeals Justice Jim Sharp, a Democrat, will face 360th District Judge Debra Lehrmann, winner of the April 13 Republican primary runoff for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court. What are Sharp's odds, given that a Democrat hasn't been elected to the high court for 18 years? "The Jim Sharp for Supreme Court campaign has a big hill to climb. I'm in the race, but we'll see how it goes," Sharp says. He plans to campaign over the next few months but says he also will be busy with his day job, reviewing and deciding cases on the 1st Court. As the only Democrat on his court, Sharp says, he is "not riding the same railroad" as the other judges on his court. And drafting dissents requires more work than simply signing on with the majority, Sharp says. Politically, Sharp says, rural parts of Texas remain decidedly more "red" or Republican. He views Dallas County as "blue" or Democratic and Harris and Bexar counties as purple, up for grabs by both parties.
-- Miriam Rozen