Candidates prepare for new county roles
Published 8:05 am Friday, December 28, 2018
What Nov. 6 decided, Jan. 1 will deliver.
The latter is the day when Jefferson County officeholders — some new, some entrenched — will assume their positions for another term. The transfer of power was peaceful — that is our tradition — and voters have spoken.
Of late, some office holders are scurrying to close out or transition from their old positions to their new, publicly elected ones. Mitch Templeton — that will be Judge Templeton, come Tuesday — was closing out his private law practice work this week as he prepared to replace longtime incumbent Judge Donald Floyd in the 172nd District Court in Beaumont.
Charlie Hallmark, the incoming county treasurer, was preparing to transition his real estate business to accommodate his new public role.
And elected leaders from both parties were preparing for ceremonial efforts that will mark the beginnings of their terms.
Templeton, who has some 27 years in legal practice, most of it in civil work, will take the oath of office from the man he will replace: Judge Floyd, who was appointed to the position in 1989 and who retained it faithfully for 29 years. Floyd, who has reached retirement age of 75, has served voters well.
Floyd said one of the oddities of holding a judgeship is you forever lose your first name to the title “Judge.” But the title shows respect for the office — even after the office holder leaves — and in Floyd’s case reflects endearment from the people he served.
Templeton ran an interesting and fiercely contested race after his opponent, Melody Chappell, who had herself weathered a vigorous primary election against Tina Bradley. Templeton is a Republican, Chappell a Democrat and they ran a clean and competitive contest, with Templeton winning narrowly.
Floyd said he and Templeton have discussed the transition and Floyd, a Democrat who initially appointed by a Republican governor, said the incoming judge was a good attorney who had practiced in his courtroom.
Templeton said after his election that he knows the gravity of his new public role and was “humbled” by voter support. He said he knows, too, about the significant footsteps taken by the judge before him, for whom he expressed great respect.
That makes for a respectful transfer of authority in the courthouse, just as Floyd experienced when he replaced a former, popular judge, Thomas A. Thomas.
We salute the efforts of all the successful candidates, many of whom survived competitive campaigns. We thank those who ran unsuccessfully. They presented their ideas in good faith and gave Jefferson County voters choices.
We hold respect for those taking their offices — men and women of both parties — in the next few days and wish them protection and the wisdom that their important jobs demand.