With Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Eddy Spivey retiring, Ector County voters in that district will choose one of three candidates running in this year’s Democrat primary in March.
It will be a winner-take-all as there are no Republicans running.
With three candidates, there is a possibility of a run-off with the top two candidates following the primary should no one get more than 50 percent of the vote.
All three candidates running have not held an elected office in the past. Those running include Master Peace Officer Elizabeth Baeza, 54, Intertek PSI lab technician Alford Littleton, 77, and Auto Oasis owner Jesse Porras, 65.
BAEZA
Baeza, who grew up in Odessa, attended Permian High School before moving to Sandia View Academy High School in Corrales, N.M.
It wasn’t long before she returned to Odessa and graduated from the Odessa College Law Enforcement Academy.
She currently holds a master peace officer certificate and an instructor certificate through TCOLE.
She has been an instructor at both the Odessa Police Department Law Enforcement Academy and the Odessa College Law Enforcement Academy for the last 19 years.
This is her first time running for a public office and she says running for the Justice of the Peace position has been something that she’s always had in the back of her mind.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” Baeza said. “I just didn’t think I was ready at the time and talking to the justice of the peace and particularly in my precinct, I would always talk to Spivey and so I’ve wanted to follow suite and continue his legacy. It’s always been a dream that I would want to serve my community in that position.”
Baeza talked about the importance of communication in the JP position.
“I think that’s what makes the world go round and it’s no different in the position that I’m seeking,” Baeza said. “My goal is to keep my office as transparent as I can. With proper training plus the training that I’ve had, I think the communication part will be taken care of.”
She has been employed with the Ector County Sherriff’s Office for more than 24 years and currently holds the position of sergeant in the Civil, Warrants and Mental Health Divisions.
“I have loved every minute of it,” Baeza said. “Working in the Civil Department, it’s opened up a side of law enforcement that goes hand-in-hand with the position that I’m running for.”
While she hasn’t held an elected position, she feels that “being well-versed on the Texas rules of civil procedures” as well as working with the community sets her apart from the other two candidates.
“I have worked for an elected office for so long (which has) therefore given me the opportunity to work with the community one-on-one so that’s always been a passion of mine to work with people and I already have that,” Baeza said. “Again, together with the education that I’ve received over the years, that separates me from the other two candidates.”
PORRAS
Porras, who ran for the JP Precinct 4 position four years ago, returns to make another attempt.
He has lived in Odessa for most of his life including the last 38 years at his current residence.
Porras attended Odessa High before joining the United States Marine Corp. and serving from 1974-81.
He graduated from Kabasaki High School in Japan in 1975.
Porras said that there are a multitude of reasons that he is interested in the position including the importance of being active in the community.
“Being a part of the community, when I was growing up, my parents and uncles were a part of the community,” Porras said. “One of my uncles did one of the first parades here in Odessa. When I was growing up, all of my dad’s relatives were a part of the community and that stayed with me. I would see and be a part of the parades that my dad built.”
He discussed how he plans on applying his community work in the past to the position.
“I’m going to be fair,” Porras said. “I’m going to be someone they can trust. Someone they can talk to. … This is why I apply myself to doing this because I think that doing this and what I’ve done for the community, they’ll feel at ease with me and asking questions. I try to be fair with everyone. I’ve had volunteers who help me with one thing and volunteers help me with other things. People will feel like I’m for everyone. I pledge myself to help everyone, individually. If you have a problem, let me hear it and I’ll understand it.”
Just like with Baeza, Porras talked about the importance of communicating.
“It’s very important because this is how they feel more of where they can depend on your trust,” Porras said. “If you don’t have communication with them, they will feel like ‘this guy will only do it when he needs something’ and that’s not my character. I’m always trying to give to the community and I’m always trying to do something better for the community. If it’s doing a parade or doing something for the veterans, or something for the community where they see me out there applying myself for the people, they’ll feel more confidence when they have an issue. Communication is something everyone wants. If you don’t communicate, people won’t know who you are and won’t feel that they can talk to you and feel good about their situation.”
Porras said he wants his voters to see him as “someone they can have confidence in.”
“When they go to the court, they can come out with a good feeling that justice was done and what was done was right, whether they lost a case or won,” Porras said. “That everything was done properly. I have to communicate with both parties and have an understanding. If they feel that it wasn’t done right or that I didn’t judge them right, to let me know so that we can have an understanding. We’ll communicate. Your voice is your vote.”
He said having worked on organized events is something that separates him from his opponents.
“Right now, I have nothing bad about my candidates,” Porras said. “I know both of them. They’re good people. The only thing that I can say is that myself, not that I’ve done it but one thing that I have done that I feel that they haven’t reached is done a variety of organized events for the community, being a part of the community and being involved with the community.
“Even though I have my own business, I’m not closing my doors to anybody. I have my business and still do. This is something that I feel that the community knows that I have no problem in being there or being a part of what we need to get things moving for the community.”
LITTLETON
Littleton is also no stranger to Odessa, having grown up in the Permian Basin.
He graduated from Blackshear High School as Valedictorian and attended the University of Texas at Austin.
Littleton spent over 35 years in Dallas as the owner of Littleton Inspection Services.
He has since sold the business and moved back to Odessa where he has been for the last 11 years.
Currently, he is employed by Intertek PSI as a lab technician, a position that he has had for the past two-and-a-half years.
While Littleton has not held an elected position, he talked about his life experiences.
“I want (my voters) to know that I have a pile of experience,” Littleton said. “I have life experiences. … I’ve been discriminated against. I know what it’s like to be discriminated against. Here, around Odessa, I have a feeling that I can really help somebody and I think I can be fair and equal. … It’s a broad spectrum as far as what the Justice of the Peace does. I would say of the three of us, we’re all on equal ground as far as coming into the office.”
Littleton says he has served on planning and zoning commissions in the past.
“I have some idea of what it’s like to be in that environment and have people make decisions regarding certain things,” Littleton said. “I’ve had to make a lot of important decisions in my life. Some of them were pretty tough. Having two parties come together and be the mediator, you have to look at the test results and it’ll tell you who’s right. Someone’s going to be upset and it’s the concept that I get about being a Justice of the Peace. A lot of things that you do sometimes has to do with stuff like that. I think I’m up to the task. My life experiences have made me ready for the next task.”
He talked about the challenge of running for Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 and what drew him to want to take it on.
“I thought about it for a little bit and I thought about what I’m going to be doing with my life and it seemed like it came at a right time in my life,” Littleton said. “It’s another challenge in my life. It’s a challenge that I know I’m qualified for. I’ve always had challenges in life. Stepping in fate and starving for four years with starting my own business and then all of sudden things come together.”
The last day to register to vote is Jan. 31. Early voting begins Feb. 14 and ends Feb. 25.
