Burnt Orange Report has endorsed Mindy Montford for the April 13 runoff. Early voting ends tomorrow. BOR had previously issued a dual endorsement in the March 2 primary.
There are few questions about Montford’s preparedness to serve Travis County. Raised in Austin and a graduate of UT-law, she has served as both a prosecutor and defense attorney for well over a decade in Travis County courts. Montford has practiced in front of every criminal district court in the county, including some of the toughest and most complex cases. She’s served as an Assistant District Attorney as well as in the Public Integrity Unit on the prosecution of Tom DeLay. She has won the respect of her peers, earning 60% of the Austin Bar Association poll among the original 4-way race.
As such, it’s no surprise that she’s being supported by a member of just about every level and type of government in Austin & Travis County- from Sen. Kirk Watson, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, City Councilman Mike Martinez, County Judge Sam Biscoe, County Attorney David Escamilla, County Commissioner Karen Huber, and Representative Dawnna Dukes as well as a host of former electeds in town. Her support is widespread across Austin’s various minority communities reflected in endorsements from groups or publications serving the city’s Hispanic, African American, Asian, and GLBT populations.
But what those endorsements don’t reflect is Montford’s deep compassion to deliver appropriate and rehabilitative justice that is in line with this communities standards- something which will serve her well in replacing Judge Baird on the 299th District Court. Montford’s positive nature is reflected in her positive campaign with a certain brightness in both intellect and deliberation that we look forward to seeing at the courthouse.
