Debra Lehrmann (pictured, left), judge of the 360th District Court in Fort Worth, won the April 13 Republican primary runoff for Place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court, defeating Rick Green, a Dripping Springs solo. Lehrmann received 52 percent of the vote versus Green's 48 percent, according to the Texas secretary of state’s Web site. "I am thankful and grateful," says Lehrmann. In November, she faces Democrat Jim Sharp (pictured, right), a justice on Houston’s 1st Court of Appeals. Sharp did not return immediately a call for comment. Lehrmann says she plans "to not miss a beat," and start preparing for the November contest now. She notes that Sharp has a particularly familiar name, which in the past has proven an asset in judicial races. (He bears the same last name as John Sharp, a former state representative and railroad commissioner and onetime candidate for lieutenant governor.) A recorded telephone message at Green’s campaign office asks reporters to refer to his statement on his Web site, which reads in part: "Our race was a David vs. Goliath battle of average citizens against the entire establishment of lobbyists and big law firms. Even after the five-to-one money advantage . . . the race came down to the wire. The people of Texas are looking for leaders with an understanding of our nation's founding principles and founding documents, as well as the backbone to fight for those principles." Lehrmann says Green called her last night to concede and pledged to have his supporters back her.
-- Miriam Rozen
UPDATE: In a telephone interview April 15, Green says his post-election conversation with Lehrmann was brief and did not include any commitment from him to have his supporters back her bid. "I haven't said yes or no to that," says Green. "I haven't had a discussion with her about that, and I would like to make that clear."
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