And the Race Continues

It’s been a while since I’ve published a post to the blog so I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who took time to vote. I am very grateful for your support.  As I anticipated, the race for 380^th district court judge will be decided in a runoff election on Tuesday, July 31. Early voting is Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27.  Please mark your calendar! You’ve been so generous already but hang in there with us, it’s not over yet.

I would like to publically acknowledge the fine campaigns run by Chip Jarvis and Jody Johnson.  Chip was always friendly and quick to help everyone relax, and Jody added a great deal of professionalism and class to our campaign.  I wish them both the best in their future endeavors.

We received very good news recently. Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of the Liberty Institute, is endorsing my candidacy for 380^th district court judge. Many thanks to Kelly for his support.

In the last week, we’ve taken some time to refuel and focus on the task in front of us. We’ve also spent a lot of time giving credit where credit is due—God has come through for us in so many countless ways these last few months.

Our eldest son, Jackson, finished his kindergarten year.  My wife, who teaches third grade, wrapped up the school year on Friday. So, the Smith family is officially in summer vacation mode. This year, we’ll be getting a lot of exercise on our vacation…walking door to door.

Speaking of vacations, I suspect many of you will be heading out of town in the coming weeks. If you expect to be outside Collin County during the week of early voting and on election day, July 31, you can arrange for an absentee ballot to be mailed to your location. Find more information here.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement.

Martindale Ratings

Martindale-Hubbell® ratings have been a topic in the race for 380th District Court judge. If you go to www.martindale.com and search for Ben Smith, you won’t find anything. Zero. Zilch. Nada. What does a lack of a rating mean?  Not a whole lot. Let me explain.

Martindale ratings are peer reviews for attorneys who are in private practice. The ratings are primarily used by attorneys to market themselves.  According to Martindale, “the majority of Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ are initiated by LexisNexis through random selection of lawyers listed on martindale.com and Lawyers.com^SM, on a geographic basis and in a specific area of practice.”  Attorneys can also request to be rated.

Unlike my opponents, I have spent the last decade working in a public capacity with the Collin County District Attorney’s Office and the Kaufman County District Attorney’s Office. I believe this experience uniquely qualifies me to serve as district court judge. But as a government attorney whose cases were automatically assigned to me, I’ve had no need to pursue ratings by Martindale in order to drum up business.  I have not been able to find a single public-sector attorney rated on Martindale, unless at some point he/she was also in private practice and rated at that time.

One of my opponents likes to frequently mention that she is the only candidate positively rated by Martindale-Hubbell® , implying that it is somehow a negative for those who aren’t.  However, let’s look at what the Martindale-Hubbell® website states about not having a rating: “It is important to note that because LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell® does not undertake facilitation of Martindale-Hubbell® PEER REVIEW RATINGS™ for all lawyers, the fact that a lawyer is not rated should not be construed unfavorably.

Their website also states that “Martindale-Hubbell® ratings are not allowed in:

• Political Pieces, advertisements, or campaign materials
• “Letters to the Editor” or similar articles or opinion pieces that are public commentary or reflect the personal opinions of the rated lawyer or law firm”

I’m not against Martindale ratings. They serve a purpose for attorneys in private practice. They just don’t apply to me and my experience over the last decade.

Spread the Word

Rebecca and I took a much needed break over the Easter weekend to spend time with our boys and our extended family. The campaign was a regular topic of conversation.

People asked “How’s it going?” My response: “It’s going great.”  I’m astonished that so many people have volunteered their time, talents and resources to help the campaign. Which brings me to the poll I posted on the blog last week…

When asked what is the most important resource voters use to make voting decisions for local races, respondents overwhelmingly named “the recommendation of family and friends” as being their top source of information. If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably more informed about the race for the 380th District Court than most people. It’s not my intent to slight voters who are not reading this blog, but maybe they just don’t know about it yet. They are probably waiting for you to tell them about Ben Smith. Seriously! I bet your friends and family really value your opinion.

Here’s what they need to know about me:

• I’m a candidate for 380th district court judge
• I’m a conservative Republican
• Former Assistant District Attorney in Collin County
• I am the ONLY candidate with experience trying the most serious felonies that occur in our county.

Here’s how you and others can support the campaign:

• ”Like” me on Facebook
• ”Follow” me on Twitter
• ”Follow” this blog
• Donate to the campaign
• Vote for me!

Your friends are waiting for your informed opinion.  Don’t delay, tell your friends today!  Thank you for your support!

Walking By Faith, Not By Sight

I officially entered the race for 380^th district court judge on December 2.  Within several weeks, it became apparent that campaigning would require a full-time effort which would leave little time for my full-time job as a chief prosecutor with the Collin County DA’s office.

In our nearly 10 years of marriage, Rebecca and I have learned that letting God write our story often requires embarking on journeys that don’t always have a clear outcome in sight.  After much prayer and discussion, we decided I should resign from the DA’s office to focus on the campaign.  It’s a tough call to make when you’ve got a family to support, but we agreed to walk by faith and not by sight.  And believe me, we’ve done some serious walking in the last few months.

On a separate note, like many of you, I’ve followed the media coverage this week of the Supreme Court’s arguments regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  At issue is the federal government’s authority to require individuals to buy health insurance or else pay a penalty; and the federal government’s requirement that states expand their participation in Medicaid or risk being kicked out of the program altogether. According to some news reports, the federal government has not attempted to wield so much power over individuals and states since the New Deal.

This weekend, we will be knocking on doors, attending a few events, and squeezing in some family time.  The weather’s going to be beautiful. I hope to see some of you around.