Judge allowed to appear on ballot after mishap lead to possible disqualification

HOUSTON - George Powell is back on the ballot.

"Thank God. He was looking out for me, as always," said Powell

The sitting 351st District Court Judge was forced to wage a ferocious legal battle after the Harris County Democratic Party declared him ineligible for the March primary.

Powell's alleged offense - failing to pay the appropriate filing fee.

But in a Tuesday court hearing, a volunteer Democratic election clerk testified that he mistakenly asked Powell to pay the wrong amount..

Today Judge Lauren Reeder ruled Democratic Party Chair Lillie Schechter improperly disqualified Powell from an opportunity to gain re-election.

"There are outside political forces that are trying to intervene in this whole election process and my record however speaks for itself," said Powell.

And Powell's record is an unwillingness to fully embrace the more lenient bail reform practices advocated by progressive leaders in Harris County government.

Powell's attorney Kent Schaffer believes that made his client a target.

"It was one of the nastiest court battles I've been involved with in a long time. You don't get that from an agnostic. You get that from a partisan. So somebody was calling the shots in this deal," said Schaffer.

For her part, Democratic Party Chair Lilly Schechter struck a conciliatory pose saying, "The Harris County Democratic Party regrets the situation Judge Powell found himself in....We hope that the matter is resolved."

Schaffer says the ruling in Powell's favor comes in the nick of time because ballots for the March primary will be printed in a matter of days.