Garcia is running for mayor

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia speaks with Houston Chronicle editorial board Monday, May 4, 2015, in Houston. Take a closer look at the candidate's political rise. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia speaks with Houston Chronicle editorial board Monday, May 4, 2015, in Houston. Take a closer look at the candidate's political rise. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Garcia is running for mayor 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

Ending months of speculation, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has declared his candidacy for mayor of Houston Wednesday.

Garcia, whose strong name recognition and deep law enforcement experience make him a likely frontrunner, will make his formal announcement at 2 p.m. at the Lindale Park Civic Association, in north Houston.

"I believe it's time to bring a fresh approach to the city of Houston," Garcia said in a letter discussing his candidacy, to be released Wednesday afternoon. "It's time to offer leadership that brings people together, that is firm and fair, and gives everyone a voice at City Hall, not just the wealthy and well-connected."

Garcia joins a crowded field seeking to replace term-limited Mayor Annise Parker. In doing so, he must resign as sheriff, leaving open one of the two county-wide offices currently held by a Democrat. Harris County Commissioners Court will meet next Tuesday to discuss appointing his successor.

County Judge Ed Emmett, who received Garcia's resignation letter Wednesday, has not decided who he wants to replace Garcia, though he prefers someone who wants to run for office in 2016, said Emmett's spokesman Joe Stinebaker.

Noting that it would be beneficial for Garcia's replacement to have a combination of law enforcement and management experience, Stinebaker added that "speed is of some importance here."

In his letter of resignation, Garcia said he hoped the Commissioners Court would appoint an independent or Democrat to serve the remainder of his term.

Garcia's long-anticipated entrance into the mayoral field comes two weeks after he fired six jail supervisors and suspended 29 others for their treatment of a mentally ill inmate who was left for weeks in a filthy cell.

Garcia, a longtime Houston police officer and former city councilmember, has drawn criticism from some for his handling of the incident, though he cites the disciplinary actions as proof of his commitment to accountability and transparency.

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Discussing his record as Harris County's top lawman in an interview with the Chronicle's editorial board Monday, Garcia said he is "proud of the successes we've had." He counted among them a reduction in the jail's population, an investment in inmate services and his financial management of the agency, which employs some 5,100 people and operates on a $416 million budget.

In an election with historically low voter turnout -- just 18 percent of about 950,000 registered voters showed up at the polls in 2013 — some 40,000 votes in November could propel a candidate into a runoff, according to Rice University political science Professor Bob Stein. As a result, name identification and the ability to energize one's base will be key.

For Garcia, 54, that means turning out Hispanic voters, an estimated 10 - 15 percent of the electorate, according to Stein. It also will require him to straddle the line between appealing to some moderate Republicans and vying for Democratic support with state Rep. Sylvester Turner and former Congressman Chris Bell, whom political analysts see as Garcia's top competition.

Garcia's announcement, which comes months after many other hopefuls declared their bids, kicks off a sprint for fundraising as he seeks to fill his campaign coffers in time for the July 15 reporting deadline.

The campaign finance reports are regarded as a litmus test of sorts, separating those with realistic shot at the runoff from the rest of the pack. Garcia had about $57,000 in his political action committee as of January, but he will likely only be able to transfer $10,000 of that to his mayoral campaign.

Garcia joins some half dozen others also vying for the mayor's office, including Turner, Bell, City Councilman Stephen Costello, 2013 mayoral runner-up Ben Hall, former Chronicle columnist Bill King and businessman Marty McVey.