Posted by By Shawn Williams – Editor
Eric Johnson is looking to fill the vacant seat in Texas House District 100 as soon as possible. In a message to supporters and constituents, Johnson says he’s not been told what is causing the holdup. “I do not know and I have not been able to get a definitive answer as to why my election victory has not been certified and I have not been sworn in,” Johnson says.
Johnson has written a letter to State Representative Charlie Geren (R) Chair of the Committee on House Administration. Below is the letter that Johnson sent to Rep. Geren.
Dear Mr. Chairman,I am writing to you because your fellow Texans in House District 100 need immediate help, but given the highly unusual situation I am about to describe to you, I am not sure what is proper and in accordance with official protocol.As you might be aware, last week the Texas Secretary of State’s office declared me the winner of the May 8 special election to complete the remainder of Terri Hodge’s term since I was the only person to file for this election. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State’s office has not yet certified my election victory (although they have the legal authority to do so since I was unopposed in the special election), which means that I am not yet an official member of the Legislature.Since the Dallas media began widely reporting the fact that I have been declared the winner of the special election last week, my campaign office has been fielding calls from House District 100 constituents needing help with various official matters. In the last few hours, for example, I have received a call from a female constituent asking that I write a letter to the TDCJ about her son’s incarceration and another call from a 79 year-old veteran who needs help with some paperwork that requires the signature of a legislator.I am not comfortable acting in any actual or apparent official capacity until I have taken the oath of office, so I feel as though I cannot directly assist these people with their issues. And given that my predecessor resigned nearly a month ago, I do not feel it is appropriate to direct House District 100 constituents to my predecessor’s former district office, as I have no way of determining if their issues are being properly addressed. As a result of this unusual and unfortunate situation, House District 100 residents are without a state representative and have been so since March 17, 2010.While it is my hope that the Secretary of State will decide to certify my election immediately so that I can be sworn in as soon as possible and begin serving the people of House District 100, I need to know to whom I should direct these requests for assistance in the meantime.Thank you kindly for your assistance with this important matter. I apologize for the informality of an email, but I feel time is of the essence in this particular case.Respectfully,Eric JohnsonRepresentative-electTexas House of RepresentativesDistrict 100
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