On Tuesday, Republican Dustin Fawcett filed to run for Ector County Judge in the March 1 Republican Primary.
“We are at a critical time here in Ector County,” Fawcett stated in the press release. “Whether it was the pandemic, the February freeze, or even the constrained relationship within our institutions, Ector County and its citizens are starving for strong leadership. My campaign will not be about divisive partisan politics, but about unifying public policy. We will seek to solve problems in pursuit of progression and vision rather than regression and division.”
During a recent interview, Fawcett said Ector County needs a county judge who can get along well with others and that current Ector County Judge Debi Hays has shown during her first term as judge that she cannot do that.
He cited her leadership during the COVID-19 crisis and also recent disagreements about how to parcel out American Rescue Funds as examples of a lack leadership.
Fawcett said the main issue in Ector County currently is cooperation among the various public entities. “We have amazing institutions,” he said citing Odessa College, UTPB and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, as well as Medical Center Hospital and Odessa Regional Medical Center. “But we struggled during COVID and there is no excuse for that. There is no excuse for not having relationships with others.”
Fawcett said Hays is more interested in making “friends and being in the spotlight rather than making public policy” adding “there is a lot of discontent with the way she has been running things.”
He has never run for public office before, but was previously employed by both MOTRAN and the Better Business Bureau.
He said he seeks the county judge’s seat because the county judge is “crucial and a lot of what I did at MOTRAN was about roads … Roads and infrastructure are the key to economic development. If we want Costco and Top Golf we have to think 30 to 40 years out. You have to have that in place. We can’t just want them and as county judge you can make that (infrastructure) happen.”
He said he has a positive vision for Ector County that includes working well with citizens and other institutions.
Fawcett said he is a seventh generation Texan whose Odessa roots date back to his late grandfather Coach Myron Schneider, who was recently honored with the naming of Nimitz Junior High School’s football field.
Fawcett has two daughters, Margaret (Maggie) Grace and Mia Faith with wife Jennifer, a news release detailed. He is employed by ProCare in Odessa as a clinic manager.
Fawcett said he serves the local community on the following boards: Centers for Children and Families, Young Professionals of Odessa, Alzheimer’s Association: Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Jesus House Women and Children’s Center, City of Odessa Traffic Advisory Committee, City of Odessa Capital Improvement Advisory Committee, and ConnEctor Task Force: Broadband Initiative.
Fawcett has developed a plan to ensure Ector County can get back on track and flourishes for years to come, the press release stated.
“My plan is simple, we focus on three pillars that must become the foundation for our success here in Ector County: Investing in our infrastructure, utilizing and leveraging relationships with our local institutions, and creating a culture county-wide that fosters innovation by focusing on economic development and American entrepreneurship,” Fawcett stated in the press release. “I have no doubt that with these three foundational pillars and with the great people of our community, we will be headed in the right direction. Together we can take on this task and together we will exceed all expectations. Ector Together.”
Fawcett is inviting the public to join him for his announcement at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ector County Commissioner’s Chambers.
