San Antonio Voters Should Reject Greg Abbott’s Favorite Trump-Like Democrat

Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood is unfit to lead the county’s law enforcement apparatus

Forget about the anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.

Forget the corruption, forget the Islamophobia, and forget that Democrat Nico LaHood is Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s preferred candidate for Bexar County (TX) District Attorney.

Forget all of that. Nico LaHood is unsuited for another term as District Attorney because he is a bully who never saw a fight he didn’t like.

LaHood is incapable of not responding to criticism on social media. He responds, in great detail, to even the most obvious internet trolls who comment on his posts.

“You sound like a bitter bitter miserable woman that has tremendous guilt about something,” LaHood once wrote to a Facebook user who criticized him for promoting the anti-vaccination documentary Vaxxed. “I would be crushed that you hate me if I gave a damn what you think. Watch the documentary then you will shut your mouth.”

Much like President Donald Trump, LaHood uses social media to demean and belittle journalists, public officials, and constituents. Unlike President Trump, whose preferred platform is Twitter, LaHood uses Facebook to mock those who disagree with him.

Facebook is where LaHood posted a recent campaign video that used a bizarre on-screen graphic to compare Joe Gonzales, LaHood’s Democratic primary opponent, to Harvey Weinstein and Larry Nassar.

“What does a rapist, a child molester, and a billionaire by the name of George Soros all have in common,” LaHood asked. “They all want Joe Gonzales to be the D.A. of Bexar County.”

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Last year, after the San Antonio Express-News editorial board called for an investigation of LaHood for threatening two opposing defense attorneys in court, he took to Facebook to post a five paragraph tirade that used a series of falsehoods to impugn the integrity of the newspaper.

“There is clearly an agenda to attack me and the District Attorney’s office. They continuously ignore the truth and fail to report the facts,” wrote LaHood. “I fully expect the Express-News will continue this slanted journalism.”

To this day, LaHood uses town halls, ostensibly about public safety, to question the motives of the Express-News and remark about their readership. At a Monday, January 8 town hall meeting at Northwest Vista College with Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, LaHood claimed he didn’t know anybody who reads the city’s newspaper of record.

Criticizing the local newspaper is hardly the worst thing the District Attorney has done at his town hall meetings. He is known to explode in anger at tough questions from constituents.

At a November 2017 town hall meeting, LaHood responded to a question about his office not holding police accountable by cupping his hands in front of his body and claiming he has the “huevos” to hold anybody accountable.

LaHood wasn’t happy when the constituent who asked the question accused him of not being forthcoming.

“Don’t you ever attack my character in public. Don’t you ever say that,” LaHood yelled before swearing on his children that he was telling the truth.

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LaHood is willing to attack anyone — his opponents, the journalists who cover him, constituents at town hall meetings, or just about anyone who comments on his Facebook page.

LaHood’s temper and instability are something Bexar County Democratic voters should consider when they go to the polls.

If that’s not enough — I urge Bexar County Democrats to remember everything else.

Remember the anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. LaHood, who has said that in fifteen years half of all children will have autism, is endorsed by anti-vaccination websites Autism Investigated and A Voice for Choice. In a February 2017 interview with InfoWars, LaHood refused to rule out prosecuting doctors who provide vaccinations.

Remember the corruption. Remember the Islamophobia. And, if nothing else, remember your partisan loyalty and consider that Texas’ far-right Governor, Greg Abbott, recently shared an article on his Twitter page that praised LaHood’s candidacy and claimed “unseating LaHood would be a key victory for [George] Soros.”

Unlike San Antonio’s Democratic leaders, who have avoided speaking out against LaHood, San Antonio’s Democratic base should send a clear message on March 6: We reject bullies like Nico LaHood.

Opinion // Democrats / Elections / Politics / Texas