Army vet challenging Collin County judge who had him arrested - Axios DallasLog InLog InAxios Dallas is an Axios company.

Army vet challenging judge who had him arrested

These signs are all over Collin County. Photo courtesy of Cormac West An Army veteran arrested during a 2021 Collin County Commissioners meeting is running for county judge, Why it matters: If elected, , a retired Army staff sergeant, would be the most powerful elected official in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The office oversees everything from emergency response to critical infrastructure.Murray, running as a Democrat, is challenging incumbent Judge Chris Hill, who had Murray during a May 2021 meeting, after Murray passionately criticized how county leadership handled at the county jail. The big picture: Murray has become a fixture at Collin County Commissioners meetings over the last two years. He says he started attending because he was concerned about the operational rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Murray has also demanded better pay for entry-level detention officers and dispatchers.Hill defeated his Democratic opponent by more than 14 points in 2018, and claims he has more than 3,700 endorsements. (Hill didn't respond to requests for comment.) What they're saying: Murray got involved in Collin County politics after retiring from the Army in 2014. "When I came back from Afghanistan, the local government looked like the government I'd just left in Kandahar," he tells Axios.He says his biggest priority would be filling the empty county positions, paying employees more and building infrastructure to prepare for ongoing growth in Collin County. The intrigue: Murray's chances of unseating Hill might depend on top-of-the-ballot races. Collin County Republicans that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke could help turn the county blue.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also up for re-election, is facing in Collin County.A Republican Texas House candidate on the ballot is charged with . What's next: Murray has with Hill, though it's not clear whether they'll happen. starts Oct. 24. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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