One of the nation’s key prosecutor’s offices will be changing hands, with Houston Republican Mike Anderson defeating incumbent Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos in a primary election yesterday, the Houston Chronicle reports. Anderson said his supporters were united by their love of the District Attorney's office and a desire to return it its previous position of respect. Anderson was recruited out of law school by former District Attorney Johnny Holmes and worked there for 17 years.
“A lot of people I talked to were really angry with [Lykos] at different polling places,” said Anderson. “They had personal opinions or experiences and were very upset with the way she was running the DA's office.” The Chronicle endorsed Lykos, saying that “in 2008, Lykos campaigned successfully as a reformer who would clean up the shambles left by disgraced former DA Chuck Rosenthal, whose tenure was marked by unacceptable ethical and behavioral lapses. That atmosphere has changed.” The newspaper said Anderson “charges that there is more of a ‘good ol’ boy’ system in operation under Lykos than under Rosenthal. He asserts further that Lykos, who never served as a prosecutor, lacks the experience necessary to lead a department whose reason for being is the prosecution of crime.”