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Dallas attorney Eric Reed, who is running as a write-in candidate for Dallas County district attorney, on Wednesday,\u00a0Aug. 19, 2026 in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
A longtime Dallas lawyer has launched a write-in campaign for Dallas County district attorney, challenging Democratic nominee Amber Givens in a race she had appeared likely to win unopposed.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Eric\u00a0Reed, a 60-year-old Dallas native, submitted his application July 24 and publicly announced his candidacy on Wednesday. The window for filing as a write-in candidate in Texas was July 17 through Monday.<\/p>\n
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Dallas attorney Eric Reed, who is running as a write-in candidate for Dallas County DA poses, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026 in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
In an interview Tuesday with The Dallas Morning News, Reed said he began considering a campaign after Givens defeated two-term incumbent<\/a> John Creuzot in the March 3 Democratic primary. <\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI was as shocked and concerned as everyone else was,\u201d he said. \u201cNinety percent of the people in the courthouse the next day were running around saying, \u2018We\u2019ve got to find someone else to run.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n His entry turns what appeared to be a settled election into an unusual fall contest, pitting Givens\u2019 primary mandate against Reed\u2019s three decades in criminal law and the challenge of a late start without his name on the ballot.<\/p>\n Givens responded to Reed\u2019s candidacy by reaffirming her commitment to the race.<\/p>\n “I’ve always planned to work hard and earn every vote, and that hasn’t changed,” she said Wednesday morning in response to a text from\u00a0The News.\u00a0“The Work Ahead continues, so we’ll keep showing up, keep doing the work, and make sure Dallas County gets to the polls in November.”<\/p>\n Republicans did not field a candidate for district attorney, leaving Givens without a general election opponent until Reed entered the race.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related<\/strong>: John Creuzot concedes to Amber Givens in Dallas County district attorney primary<\/a><\/p>\n Write-in candidates are required to run as nonpartisan in Texas. Reed said he identifies as an independent and moderate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Former judge Amber Givens speaks during a news conference at Antioch Fellowship Church, Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Dallas, to lay out her plans after her win in the Dallas County district attorney’s race in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.<\/p>\n Chitose Suzuki\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n \u201cLike most voters, I see good and bad in both major parties,\u201d he said. \u201cBut really, public safety, fairness and accountability are not red vs. blue issues. They affect everyone, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m running.\u201d<\/p>\n Givens presided over Dallas County\u2019s 282nd District Court for 11 years before resigning in December<\/a>\u00a0to run for district attorney.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Last month, a Special Court of Review in Austin dismissed all sanctions<\/a> imposed against Givens by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct over allegations connected to her time on the bench. The commission issued a public reprimand and admonishment in July 2025 after multiple misconduct allegations were filed against her in 2021.<\/p>\n The Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association had accused Givens of harshly treating attorneys appearing before her and allowing a staff member to stand in for her during a virtual bond hearing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n