TYLER, Texas — The 2024 Democratic primary for Smith County Pct. 1 constable is a three-way race that includes a significant amount of political and legal background among the candidates.
Appointed Constable Ralph Caraway Jr. is seeking to be elected to the position after he was initially named interim constable while former officeholder Curtis Traylor-Harris awaited trial for theft by a public servant and official oppression charges.
Caraway officially became the constable once Traylor-Harris was convicted of theft and sentenced to probation in December 2022. The Smith County commissioners accepted Traylor-Harris' resignation in January 2023. Caraway previously worked at the Smith County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator since 2019.
The challengers in the 2024 race are Willie Mims and Derrick Holman, who are both former employees of the Pct. 1 constable's office.
Mims was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary and a longtime officer within the constable's office; however, a lawsuit filed by Bobby Garmon, the appointed constable at the time, saying Mims did not have the required number of signatures for his candidate application caused complications.
Despite the lawsuit, Mims won the majority vote among Garmon and Traylor-Harris. But a court order said a judge would have to rule on if Mims could be the Democratic nominee. Following the primary, that judge decided Mims was the nominee because he won the majority.
However, the 12th Court of Appeals later ruled a runoff between Garmon and Traylor-Harris, disqualifying Mims as the winner. Traylor-Harris then won the runoff.
Holman, a former Smith County Pct. 1 sergeant, was one of the two employees accused of stealing from Tyler residents while issuing an eviction notice in late January 2021.
Holman along with Traylor-Harris and former Pct. 1 Chief Deputy LaQuenda Banks were charged with official oppression and property theft by a public servant in November 2021.
But after a jury trial, Holman was found not guilty of the allegations in August 2023. The next month, Banks pleaded guilty to the theft charge and received an 18-month probation sentence.
There is no Republican challenger for this race.
Early voting began Feb. 20 and runs for just under two weeks. Election Day is March 5. For more information about voting hours and locations, click here.