Judge Maria T. Jackson could possibly become the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas since 1994. She's running for Presiding Judge for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 1. Judge Jackson has secured the 2018 Democratic nomination already. Now she must await the winner of the Tuesday, March 6, 2018, Republican Primary to see who she must defeat to become the first African American woman to ever serve on the highest court for criminal appeals in the state of Texas. This court consists of a Presiding Judge and eight other Judges. These honorable judges are elected by the voters of the entire state of Texas, and they hold their offices for terms of six years. Harris County is the "GOLDEN PRIZE" in statewide elections in Texas politics with over 2,234,671 registered voters – think Houston area. Bexar County has well over 1,045,357 registered voters – think San Antonio area. Dallas County has well over 1,287,082 registered voters – think Dallas area. Tarrant County has well over 1,077,598 registered voters – think Fort Worth area. The aforementioned numbers are from 2016 and were found on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
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Now that the race for the United States Senate in Alabama between former U.S. attorney, Democrat Doug Jones, and Judge Roy Moore, the embattled former chief justice for the state of Alabama is settled – let’s turn our attention to a key statewide judicial race that’s going down in the Lone Star State in 2018. A race you can bet your bottom dollar many Texans will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on is the one for Presiding Judge for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 1 involving three duly-qualified and capable Texas Judges. Democrat Judge Maria T. Jackson currently sits in the catbird seat (unchallenged in the 2018 Democratic Party Primary) awaiting the winner of the Tuesday, March 6, 2018, Republican Party Primary contest between Judge David Bridges who currently serves on Texas’ 5th District Court of Appeals -- and Presiding Judge Sharon Keller. Judge Bridges is seeking to unseat Presiding Judge Sharon Keller who will be in for the fight of her political life to gain her party’s nomination in the 2018 Republican Party Primary in Texas. In case you don’t know, Judge Sharon Keller is the judge who has faced more than a few issues in the past pertaining to ethical matters dating back to the 1990s. Perhaps the most notable of which, is when she blocked the last-minute appeal of death row inmate Michael Richard back in 2007 – according to published reports, she did so because the death row inmates’ attorneys were a few minutes past their deadline. Richard was ultimately executed a few hours after Judge Keller infamously uttered the words “we close at five.” But to be fair, Judge Sharon Keller has seemed to put most of the controversies she’s faced behind her heading into her 2018 showdown with Judge Bridges – but you can be sure, that Judge David Bridges isn’t about to let her past controversies go unmentioned.
Texas Criminal Court of Appeals Judges: Presiding Judge Sharon Keller – (Place 1), Judge Mary Lou Keel – (Place 2), Judge Bert Richardson – (Place 3), Judge Kevin Yeary – (Place 4), Judge Scott Walker – (Place 5), Judge Michael Keasler – (Place 6), Judge Barbara Hervey – (Place 7), Judge Elsa Alcala – (Place 8), and Judge David Newell – (Place 9).
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN TEXAS IN 2018
In the current political climate, nobody knows for sure exactly what’s going to happen in Texas in 2018. “Between now and next fall you’re going to hear a lot about how Texas is a red state, and no Democrats can win here,” says Aubrey R. Taylor, publisher of Houston Business Connections Magazine©. “But I beg to differ,” he says. “Sure, Texas is a strong conservative-leaning state that’s been entrusted to Republican leadership at the statewide level for many years,” he explains. “But if we’ve learned anything from what recently happened in that special election in Alabama – we should have learned that anything can happen in politics.”
IS TEXAS REALLY AS RED AS SOME WOULD HAVE US TO BELIEVE?
According to the Republican Party of Texas’ website, the people of Texas have entrusted Republicans with the stewardship of every statewide elected office and majorities in the state senate, state house and on the state board of education. Republicans currently have majorities in 107 Texas counties that contain nearly two-thirds of the state’s population. “Sure, in the past Republicans have beaten the brakes off Democrats at the statewide level in Texas,” says Taylor. “But there’s nothing mysterious about what’s happening in our state,” Taylor explains. “Look, nobody has a lock on Texas – and if they did, there’s a combination to crack the code on every lock – you just have to know the code. THE POLITICAL PARTY WHO TURN OUT THE MOST VOTERS win in Texas – IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE! And currently, that party just happens to be the Republican Party.” In case you don’t know, no Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas since 1994 – but Judge Maria T. Jackson aims to change that in the 2018 Midterm Election in the Lone Star State.
CAN JUDGE MARIA T. JACKSON WIN STATEWIDE IN TEXAS?
Taylor believes Judge Maria T. Jackson has a shot and can win in Texas with the right strategy, outreach, branding, and financial support. “The numbers are there, but Judge Maria T. Jackson is going to need a lot of help to beat the Republican nominee – no matter who it turns out to be,” says Taylor. “But it’s not an improbable feat – there are several pathways to victory for her,” he says. “First off, you have to look at the numbers, back in the 2012 Presidential Election, Sharon Keller, the Republican faced off against Keith Hampton, the Democrat, and Lance Stott a Libertarian. Judge Keller handily beat her opponents back then. She earned 4,257,024 votes for 55.49% of the vote. Keith Hampton earned 3,163,825 votes for 41.24% of the vote. And Lance Stott earned 250,457 votes for 3.26% of the vote,” Taylor explains. “So at first glance, when you look at the final results – it looks like a show of dominance by Judge Keller, the Republican candidate. But a minimal amount of research paints a different view of what’s going down in the state of Texas.”
ANALYSIS OF JUDGE KELLER’S 2012 RACE
Back in 2012, the total number of registered voters was 13,646,226 in Texas. The total number of the voting age population in Texas back in 2012 was 18,279,737 according to the Texas Secretary of State. “Okay, so Judge Sharon Keller, the Republican beat Keith Hampton, the Democrat by 1,093,199 votes. Yes, that’s over a million votes – which is a respectable margin of victory,” Taylor explains. “But not so fast, back in 2012, the last time Judge Sharon Keller was challenged by a Democrat there were 13,646,226 registered voters, right? Well, the combined voter turnout in the race between Keller, Hampton, and Stott back in 2012 was only 7,671,306 votes. So, if you deduct 7,671,306 from 13,646,226 (the total number of registered voters at the time) you get 5,974,920 registered voters who either did not vote at all; or chose not to vote in this particular race,” Taylor says emphatically. What does this mean? “Well according to the numbers there were over 5 million votes left on the table,” says Taylor. “If say, 2 million or so of the registered voters who stayed at home, would have simply gone to the polls to vote – the results could have very easily turned out differently – the Democrat, Keith Hampton could have won the race.”
A LOOK BACK AT JUDGE KELLER’S 2006 RACE
Back in 2006, the total number of registered voters was 13,074,279 in Texas. The total number of the voting age population in Texas back in 2006 was 16,636,742 according to the Texas Secretary of State. “Now, back in 2006 Judge Sharon Keller, the Republican received 2,346,204 votes for 56.65% of the vote. The Democrat candidate J.R. Molina received 1,795,416 for 43.35% of the vote. So, the margin of victory for Judge Sharon Keller was 550,788 votes. “The win by Judge Keller, back in 2006 was respectable,” says Taylor. “Winning elections is about which candidate can garner the most votes – and back in 2006 Judge Sharon Keller did just that,” he explains. However, only 4,141,620 registered voters voted in the Keller versus Molina showdown back in 2006. So if you subtract 4,141,620 from 13,074,279 what you are going to discover is that 8,932,659 Texas voters decided for one reason or another to not have their voices heard back in 2006. If a few hundred thousand of the registered voters who stayed at home had elected to go to the polls -- once again, the results of this contest could have possibly gone in favor of the Democrat. "So rather than painting the state of Texas as a red state, I like to refer to it as a state where (since 1994) the Republican Party has simply turned out more voters than the Democrats in statewide elections," says Taylor.
OUTLOOK FOR 2018 IN TEXAS
The bottom line is that Texas is dominated by Republican candidates in statewide races in large part because more registered Republican voters go to the polls, than do Democrat voters in statewide races. So in essence, since 1994, any candidate with an “R” before their name on the ballot has almost been guaranteed the victory.
PARTY AFFILIATION HAS BEEN THE KEY SINCE 1994
“In statewide races since 1994, it has simply come down to party affiliation – not qualifications, experience and readiness to serve,” says Taylor. “Most of the time, both nominees have been duly-qualified – but the Republicans appear to have just been better mobilized and financed when it comes to running statewide campaigns,” proclaims Taylor. “The only question for Judge Maria T. Jackson will be can she raise the financial capital needed to spread her name across the state,” he says. But can Judge Jackson emerge victorious next fall? “Well, any pathway to victory for Judge Maria T. Jackson must start with her running up the number "BIG TIME" in Harris County, her home base – winning Harris County is a must,” says Taylor. “If Judge Maria T. Jackson can’t win Harris County in 2018 – its game over,” he says.
TEXAS COUNTIES JUDGE MARIA T. JACKSON MUST WIN
Harris County is the "GOLDEN PRIZE" in Texas politics with over 2,234,671 registered voters – think Houston. Bexar County has well over 1,045,357 registered voters – think San Antonio area. Dallas County has well over 1,287,082 registered voters – think Dallas area. Tarrant County has well over 1,077,598 registered voters – think Fort Worth area,” says Taylor.
JUDGE JACKSON MUST RUN COMPETITIVELY IN THESE COUNTIES
Aubrey R. Taylor, publisher of Houston Business Connections Magazine© says that Judge Maria T. Jackson and any other Democratic candidate hoping to turn Texas blue must run very competitive races in the following Texas counties: Galveston County – think Galveston; Fort Bend County – think Richmond; Brazoria County – think Angleton/Pearland; Travis County – think Austin; Starr County – think Rio Grande City; Smith County – think Tyler; Randall County – think Canyon; Potter County – think Amarillo; Nueces County – think Corpus Christi; Montgomery County – think Conroe; Midland County – think Midland; Bell County – think Belton; McLennan County – think Waco; Lubbock County – think Lubbock; Kaufman County – think Kaufman; Johnson County – Cleburne; Jefferson County – think Beaumont; Hidalgo County – think Edinburg; Hays County – think San Marcos; Guadalupe County – think Seguin; Gregg County – think Longview,; Grayson County – think Sherman; El Paso County – El Paso; Ector County – think Odessa; Ellis County – think Waxahachie; Denton County – think Denton; Comal County – think New Braunfels, and Cameron County – think Brownsville.
Judge Maria T. Jackson has been the presiding Judge of the 339th State District Court in Houston, Harris County, Texas since the election of 2008. Judge Jackson presides over serious felony offenses, which run the gamut from low-level drug offenses to capital murder. She has presided over one hundred jury trials and several have been featured on The First 48 Hour national television show. She has appeared on many Houston radio and media outlets like Red, White and Blue Political Show, Magic 102, KCOH, and The Prison Show on FM 90.1. Judge Jackson has taken the lead in implementing sweeping changes for DWI probationers in her court. These changes are so notable that the Harris County Probation Department has followed Judge Jackson’s lead in implementing them countywide.
Education
B.A. Political Science
The University of Texas at Arlington
Doctor of Jurisprudence
Texas A&M School of Law formerly
Texas Wesleyan School of Law
Professional Experience
Judge Maria T. Jackson has served by appointment of the Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice as the presiding Judge in Cameron County, Texas. The United States Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, the District Attorneys of Alabama, and the National Judicial College selected Judge Jackson as one of twenty-four judges from across the country to receive training at the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI). In 2003-2008, Judge Jackson was appointed by the Mayor and City Council as a Fulltime Municipal Court Judge for the City of Houston. During her tenure as a Municipal Court Judge, she also served as a trainer and instructor for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center. She was a Municipal Bond Attorney and a certified Mediator.
Professional Activities and Memberships
Judge Jackson’s devotion does not stop at public service. She is also a devoted member of her profession and her alma mater Texas A&M University School of Law formerly Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Judge Jackson serves on the Board of District Judges, where she chairs the Security Committee and serves on the Administration of Justice and the Legislative Committee. She serves on the Mental Health Task Force Board. She is currently a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas State Bar College, Garland R. Walker American Inns of Court, American Bar Association, Houston Lawyers Association, Houston Bar Association, and the Mexican American Bar Association. She serves on the Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards Committee. She is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and the Houston Bar Foundation. She previously served as past Co-Chair of the Speakers Bureau Committee for the Houston Bar Association and on the Board of Directors for Texas A&M University School of Law.
Community Involvement
When Judge Jackson is not pursuing her passion for the law, she serves her community by volunteering as a mentor for at-risk youth, high school students, law students and young lawyers. She is a lifetime member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. She is an active member of the Houston Chapter of Links, Inc., where she serves as Chair of the Services to the Youth program. She is a sustaining member of the Harris County Democratic Party. She is a member of the Lakewood Church. She is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Judge Maria T. Jackson’s passion for public service has not gone unnoticed. Her service to the community has led a number of organizations to recognize her. Judge Jackson was named “Best Criminal Court Judge of 2011” by the Houston Press, making her the first African American woman to be given this honor. D-Mars.com Business Journal awarded Judge Jackson the People’s Choice Award for two consecutive years in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, Judge Jackson was named one of the “Top 30 Most Influential Women of Houston.” In 2015, Judge Jackson was recognized again for her judicial service to the community by the Lebanon Times magazine. She was a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Black Heritage Honoree, a Houston Bar Association-CLE distinguished member, and recognized by Houston’s Influential 40 Under 40. The Houston Sun honored Judge Jackson the “Women of Power and Purpose” award in 2013. In addition to breaking the barriers for minority women in the legal profession, Judge Jackson broke barriers for Houston Municipal judges by being the first judge to be acknowledged by the Mayor’s Spotlight City of Houston employee newspaper. In addition to her accomplishments at the state level, Judge Jackson has been recognized as a “Woman of Now” hall of fame honoree by the U.S. House of Representatives, 18th Congressional District.
In case you haven’t heard, Judge Maria T. Jackson is endeavoring to have her name written in the annals of Texas history on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, in the General Midterm Election. She has been the presiding Judge of the 339th State District Court in Harris County, Texas since the 2008 Presidential Election; but now has set her sights on becoming the first African American woman to serve as Presiding Judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals -- which is Texas' highest court for criminal cases.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals currently consists of a Presiding Judge and eight other Judges. These judges are duly-elected by the voters throughout the entire state, and hold their offices for terms of six years.”We chose Judge Maria T. Jackson as our ‘Trailblazer of the Year’ a very good reason,” says Aubrey R. Taylor, publisher of Houston Business Connections Magazine®.”And our non-partisan group of readers who chose Judge Jackson aren’t the only ones who think so -- Judge Jackson was named “Best Criminal Court Judge of 2011” by the Houston Press, several years ago, making her the first African American woman to be given this honor,” says Taylor. But can she succeed at winning a statewide office in Texas when so many other Democrats have failed? “Anything is possible,” says Taylor. “Sure, Judge Maria T. Jackson is a Democrat through and through; but she’s one of the few Democrats in Harris County who also has a pretty strong base of conservative and independent supporters,” he explains. According to Taylor, that’s what makes her a dangerous candidate on the statewide level.”She’s going to need a lot of help -- but if any African American woman can do it -- SHE CAN!”
EX-ROCKET PLEADS NO CONTEST TO GIRLFRIEND’S ASSAULT: Two high-profile lawyers. A pro athlete and A lover scorned...All gathered inside Judge Maria T. Jackson’s 339th Criminal District Court in Harris County trading accusations, shedding tears and making deals...When the smoke cleared, former Houston Rockets forward Jordan Hill, 25, had pleaded no contest to assaulting his then-girlfriend earlier in 2016, in a move to avoid a felony trial and allow him to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers. Hill pictured above with prominent Houston attorney Rusty Hardin.
STUDENT SENTENCED TO 48 YEARS IN LONE STAR COLLEGE CAMPUS STABBING: Judge Maria T. Jackson had tough words for Dylan Quick before she sentenced him to 48 years in person. Jackson called Quick's actions "horrific" and said they represent "one of society's worst nightmares." Jackson said Quick targeted "totally and completely innocent" people and "only by the grace of God" did no one "DIE" in the April 2013 attack.
ON TRIAL FOR BURYING HER BABY ALIVE: Narjes Modarresi, 32 was sentenced to life in prison for the April 2010 murder of two-month-old Masih Golabbakhsh by a jury in Judge Maria T. Jackson’s court. The jury deliberated for two hours before returning the guilty verdict... Modarresi is pictured above with defense attorney George Parnham. According to the defense, the severe bipolar disorder is the reason Narjes Modarresi buried her 2-month-old son alive.
‘BONNIE & CLYDE’ DEFENDANT SAYS SHE WAS HOSTAGE DURING CRIME SPREE: Kimberly Nicole Cormier, 42, claimed she was held at gunpoint for days after she accidentally witnessed her boyfriend shoot his cocaine dealer, then the dealer's neighbor on Sept. 2, 2014. Cormier was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the “Bonnie & Clyde” type crime spree.
Attorney George Parnham
Attorney Windi Alina Pastorini
Attorney Mary Elizabeth Conn
Attorney Ed Chernoff
Attorney Dorian Cotlar
Attorney Brian Coyne
Attorney Gordon Dees
Attorney Mike DeGeurin
Attorney Dick DeGuerin
Attorney Todd Dupont
Attorney Chris Flood
Attorney Charles Flood
Attorney Carl Haggard
Attorney Rusty Hardin
Attorney Cheryl Irvin
Attorney Deborah Keyser
Attorney Thomas Martin
Attorney Mac Miller
Attorney Tyronne Moncriffe
Attorney Loretta Muldrow
Attorney Alvin Nunnery
Attorney Wendell Odom, Jr.
Attorney Carmen Roe
Attorney J. Philip Scardino
Attorney Robert Scardino
Attorney Kent Schaffer
Attorney Randy Schaffer
Attorney Josh Schaffer
Attorney James Stafford
Attorney Son Tran
Attorney Chris Tritico
Attorney Ned Turnbull
Attorney Brian Wice
Attorney Connie Williams
Attorney Cornell Williams
Attorney Catherine Bean
Attorney David Bires
Attorney Dan Cogdell
Attorney Skip Cornelius
Attorney Eric Davis
Attorney Nicole DeBorde
Attorney Ronald Green
Attorney Matt Hennessey
Attorney James Kennedy
Attorney Richard Kuniansky
Attorney Edward Mallett
Attorney Alvin Nunnery
Attorney Anthony Osso
Attorney David Adler
Attorney Alexander Forrest
Attorney Richard Haynes
Attorney Robert Jones
Attorney Thomas Joseph Lewis
Attorney Clive Markland
Attorney Brent Mayr
Attorney Reginald McKamie
Attorney Carl Moore
Attorney Letitia D. Quinones
Attorney Carmen Rose
Attorney Catherine Samaan
Attorney Tony Smith
Attorney Monique C. Sparks
Aubrey R. Taylor, the president, and CEO of Aubrey R. Taylor Communications is the publisher of Houston Business Connections Magazine©. Taylor has more than 26-years of experience in marketing branding, public relations and political consulting. He’s publicly promoted Republican and Democratic candidates in statewide elections and in local municipalities throughout the Lone Star State. He’s also publicly promoted (through his publications) such corporations and institutions as Shell Oil, The City of Houston, Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M University, Chevron, Waste Management, Nationwide Insurance, Momentum Jaguar/BMW, State Farm Insurance, and Allstate Insurance to name a few. A visionary in his own right, Taylor has also helped many incumbent Democrats and Republicans to hold onto their seats amidst stiff challenges from political rivals -- but he’s also played strategic roles in developing strategies to help his clients unseat more than a few incumbents as well. His private group of “nonpartisan” HBC Magazine© Readers has assisted him with picking the best candidates to recommend in “PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS” and “MIDTERM ELECTIONS” on a regular basis. In case you don’t remember, back in the Tuesday, November 8, 2016 “PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION” his “nonpartisan” group of Houston Business Connections Magazine© Readers made “RECOMMENDATIONS” in sixty-seven (67) races on the ballot in Harris County, Texas. The Houston Chronicle (EDITORIAL BOARD) made endorsements in the same sixty-seven (67) races.
ENDORSEMENTS MATTER
The Houston Chronicle’s (EDITORIAL BOARD) posted a record of: (38 ENDORSEMENT WINS AND 29 ENDORSEMENT LOSSES) while the “nonpartisan” group of Houston Business Connections Magazine© Readers posted a record of: (51 ENDORSEMENT WINS AND 16 ENDORSEMENT LOSSES). So, who would you rather have as your media partner?
NEED A MEDIA PARTNER?
If you are a candidate running for public office in the Tuesday, March 6, 2018, Democratic Party Primary, or Republican Party Primary and need a strategy, branding, or marketing assistance, please call (832)212-8735, or (281)788-3033 today!
AUBREY R. TAYLOR COMMUNICATIONS
957 NASA PARKWAY #251
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77058-3039
PHONE: (832)212-8735
CELL: (281)788-3033
