Republican Hopes To Unseat Veteran Democrat Dallas County DA
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DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Susan Hawk hopes to make headlines Tuesday night and unseat two term District Attorney Craig Watkins. "I'm very confident," she said.
Even though Watkins is a Democrat, and she's a Republican, Hawk insists the race isn't about party affiliation.
"From the very beginning of this campaign, we've run as a non-partisan campaign. Our message is non-partisan. It's never about politics."
CBS 11 News has requested an interview with Watkins since Wednesday. On Friday, his spokeswoman told us he was too busy campaigning to do an interview.
While in office, Watkins has been at the center of controversy. He was acquitted last year of a contempt of court charge, after he refused to testify over allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
Questions also surfaced after Watkins caused a car crash, then used forfeiture funds to settle out of court with the other driver.
Watkins has also received praise over his conviction integrity unit in which he says his office has exonerated 33 men for crimes they didn't commit.
Hawk says he's done a good job with the unit, and that she would expand it. But she says her legal experience sets her apart.
"I was a prosecutor for seven and a half years. I was a criminal district court judge for 11 years. I've been down in the courtroom for 20 years, in the trenches, trying cases every single day and I think that makes me an expert in criminal law."
Though a Republican, Hawk believes she's made inroads against Watkins in Dallas - a dominant Democratic county.
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