Dallas trial attorney and former prosecutor Eric Reed filed paperwork on Wednesday to run as an independent write‑in candidate for Dallas County District Attorney. Reed’s campaign offers voters a non‑partisan alternative to Democratic nominee Amber Givens, who entered the race unopposed after the Republican Party failed to field a candidate.

Campaign focus and qualifications

Reed said his platform will center on public safety, fairness and accountability. He emphasized the district attorney’s duty to protect victims, prosecute dangerous offenders and uphold constitutional rights. “After spending my career on both sides of the courtroom, I understand the authority entrusted to a district attorney and the responsibility that comes with it,” Reed said in a campaign release.

Reed’s legal résumé spans more than three decades. He began as a clinical prosecutor in the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office in New Mexico and served as a student prosecutor for the Laguna Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo. He later worked as a special prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Dakota and as a tribal prosecutor for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Since opening a private practice in Dallas in 1996, Reed has represented individuals, tribes, businesses and nonprofit organizations in state, federal, tribal and military courts. He also served as a special consultant to the Texas Rangers and the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office and lectured at the University of Texas at Dallas for more than 15 years.

Election mechanics

Texas law requires write‑in candidates for county offices to file a declaration before a statutory deadline and directs election officials to count votes only for candidates on the declared list. Reed’s campaign is urging supporters to select the write‑in option on the ballot and write his full name, “Eric Reed,” in the district attorney race.

Reed acknowledged the difficulty of a write‑in effort but said he will spend every remaining day meeting voters, civic groups, legal professionals and law‑enforcement officials across Dallas County before the November 3 election.

Context of the race

Amber Givens secured the Democratic nomination after defeating two‑term incumbent District Attorney John Creuzot in the March primary. Givens, a former judge of Dallas County’s 282nd District Court, runs on a platform that includes evidence‑based prosecution standards, community‑justice councils, diversion programs and greater policy transparency.

Givens’ judicial record was scrutinized during the primary. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a public reprimand and admonishment in 2025, but a three‑judge Special Court of Review dismissed the sanctions on July 16 after finding insufficient evidence.

What voters can expect

Reed pledged to pursue violent crime, support victims and protect due process and constitutional rights. He stressed that conviction numbers alone do not measure a prosecutor’s effectiveness, arguing that careful, fact‑based decisions are essential to justice.

The write‑in campaign adds a contested element to a race that previously lacked a general‑election challenger. Voters in Dallas County will receive a ballot that lists Amber Givens as the named candidate, with a separate write‑in line for any additional qualified candidates.

Election officials will verify write‑in votes against the filed declaration list. If Reed’s name appears correctly on the ballot and meets the filing requirements, his votes will be counted alongside Givens’ in the final tally.

Looking ahead

Both campaigns plan extensive outreach through town halls, community meetings and digital platforms. Reed’s independent status positions him as a candidate focused on professional independence rather than party affiliation, while Givens emphasizes progressive reforms rooted in community input.

Dallas County voters will decide on November 3 whether to keep the district attorney’s office under the leadership of a Democratic nominee or to endorse an independent prosecutor with a long‑standing legal career in both public and private practice.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.