NUECES COUNTY, Texas — Early voting is set to begin Monday for the Nueces County district attorney runoff election.
On the ballot are current Nueces County DA Jimmy Granberry and San Patricio Assistant County Attorney James Sales.
Granberry won the primary election but did not get 50 percent of the vote, setting the stage for a runoff election. Both candidates said voter turnout is usually low for runoffs, so they are asking for support to make them the Republican nominee for Nueces County DA.
"When I go door to door and talk to people, it's been a great reception, and they've thanked me for coming and talking to them and asking them individually for their vote," Sales said.
Sales previously worked in the Nueces County DA's office for 16 years. He has since worked in different Coastal Bend counties and prosecuted DWIs, assaults, murders and more, throughout his career.
He said he spent years going after gangs in Nueces County and explained what he wants to see happen if he is voted as the new DA.
"I want my son to grow up in a city that is safer from crime than it is right now, and I want people to go in a courthouse that has not gone stagnant," Sales said.
If Sales wins the runoff election for Nueces County DA, he will face Democratic candidate and attorney Terry Shamsie. He said his experience as a prosecutor would keep the courtroom more balanced as DA, compared to Shamsie's experience as a defense attorney.
Jimmy Granberry is the current Nueces County DA, appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott last October. He closed his law practice after 35 years to become the DA. Before that, he was a felony prosecutor in Nueces County.
Since Granberry's appointment, he said he developed relationships with local law enforcement and federal partners. He added that his office is also addressing ways to decline the current jail population, like moving people to prisons or them being out on probation.
"I've been here learning about what the present-day problems are in Nueces County," Granberry said. "We're getting a good handle on that with the help of these brilliant young lawyers I've got working here."
If Granberry wins the runoff election, he said he has a good chance to beat Shamsie with the support of Republican voters. He added that his experience as both a defense lawyer and prosecutor is an advantage since he sees both sides.
"You know better how to approach the case," Granberry said. "You know how the other side is going to approach the case, and so, I can give insight to my young prosecutors as to what to look out for in the trials that are coming up."
Granberry said if he continues to work as Nueces County DA, he wants to work on retention of good lawyers and building a career track for them in his office. Meanwhile, Sales said that his decades of experience as a prosecutor is why Republicans should consider him as the next DA.
Early voting is all week from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. beginning on Monday, May 20 and ending on Friday, May 24. Election day is May 28.