Butch Bryant on November ballot for Ellis County Republican JP Precinct 4

WAXAHACHIE – It was back in the spring when the Ellis County Commissioners Court named Mike McKenna as the temporary Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4.

At the time, the Ellis County Precinct Chairs spoke to the court about their suggestion for the temporary replacement. 

There were four candidates; Mike McKenna, Mike Jones, James Butch Bryant and Robert Shelton. 

The temporary replacement was necessary due to the seat being vacated by Louis Ponder when he accepted the appointment of County Commissioner in Ellis County on March 5 to replace Paul Perry in the Place 3 seat.

Commissioners named McKenna to the unexpired temporary term against the precinct chair’s recommendation, with only Ponder voting against that choice.

When the precinct chairs, as well as Ellis County Republican Party Chairperson, Randy Bellamy spoke to the commissioners, their voices seemingly went unheard – even though Bellamy told the commissioners clearly during public comment that while the unexpired term would be filled by choice of court, the Republican Party rules are the chairs will make the nomination for the November ballot.

“People say why didn’t we have a special election, which is something you have to take up with the state legislator because the law says this is how the process is going to be,” Bellamy explained.

Bellamy also told the commissioners that he and the precinct chairs “believe Butch is the right person for this job.”

So, the commissioners, minus Ponder chose McKenna over Bryant – knowing he would only be in the seat for a short time and would not be on the November ballot and keep the seat come Jan. 1.

Bellany also said later in a phone interview that for a JP to hold a court case he first must go through a class to know how to hold it, that is mandatory.

Ponder, who moved into the County Commissioner seat, had only recently completed his training for JP, and Bellamy said, “The precinct has no real JP until classes are complete.”

At first it was thought the other JPs could help in Precinct 4 until a new JP had completed the proper training, but it turned out there was an issue since there must be a JP that signs off with a bond to cover, and there was no JP to do that.

Bellamy said the Secretary of State commented it was not believed a situation had ever happened in the state in just such a way as the Prec. 4 JP seat situation.

Even so, with McKenna put in the position for the short term he must also undergo training even though the precinct chair will name Bryant to the ballot, and then Bryant will go through the training too.

Bellamy added, “Butch is doing everything he can do to get himself ready now to sit on the bench on January 1.”

Bellany said when Bryant learned he was to be recommended at Commissioners Court even though he was not their choice, he began working with the assistant JP and other judges who are teaching him about the JP seat, “and training himself even before he knew he would have the position,” Bellany explained.

As for the commissioners making the temporary choice, which they knew would be replaced on the November Ballot, Pct. 2 Lane Grayson said, “I will make my decision based on what I believe is best for the citizens of Precinct 4.” 

While Grayson said he was doing what he believed is best for the citizens, some did ask, “aren’t the precinct chair’s doing what the precincts believe is best?” 

Ponder said it most rationally during the vote when he voted against McKenna.

“Are we going to select who the precinct chairs want, or are we going to select someone in the interim and then let the person that gets elected in November come in and fill that spot?”

Some members of the Republican Party have also complained to the idea of not being able to decide who would be on the November ballot, but Bellamy said state law did not allow the Special Election, and it fell on the precinct chairs to then follow the state law that was in place.

The precinct chairs had originally narrowed the list to the four men. “Because there is no primary, we announced on our website that we were going to be filling the temporary seat and we were taking applications or resumes” Bellamy said.

The four names that the commissioners voted on were the finalists and Bellamy added, “The chairs got together and brought in candidates and took a straw vote and it was an unofficial vote because we could not vote officially until the new precinct chairs elected in the March primary were installed. The soonest you could install them was 20 days after the runoff election so that was then done and we decided to move the meeting to June 18 and that was the 20 days allowed.”

The hope was a seamless transition to Bryant in the JP seat, and the seven precinct chairs who voted for Bryant were clear they were not going to change their mind for the November ballot.

“Butch has been active in the party and he is younger and we were also looking at the future and a long range individual,” Bellany explained regarding their decision on Bryant.

As part of state law Bryant will be the only Republican on the ballot for JP Prec. 4. Bellamy said there has been talk of a Democrat candidate running against Bryant but, “In a highly Republican area it would not be likely he would win without a huge amount of money to spend,” Bellamy concluded.