A Presidio County official’s bid for higher office has led to a political dustup after he was removed from his seat by the very person he could face off against in next year’s mid-term elections.
Last week, Presidio County Judge Joe Portillo – the county’s top elected official – removed Commissioner David Beebe from his seat after Beebe announced that he would run for county judge himself.
Beebe’s recent campaign announcement triggered a provision of state law which generally requires that county officials seeking higher office resign to launch a new campaign.
According to the Texas Constitution, if a county official announces their candidacy for another office more than a year and 30 days from the end of their current term “such candidacy shall constitute an automatic resignation.” Beebe was just two months away from that deadline.
“Although I announced early — and in a way, it sabotaged me — I don't regret that at all, because it's bringing attention to this race now,” Beebe told Marfa Public Radio this week.
Portillo moved last week to appoint Frank “Buddy” Knight to Beebe’s commissioner seat, in effect giving Knight his old seat back: Beebe ousted Knight from the same commissioner’s seat in a 2022 Democratic primary race, earning 59% of the vote, and later prevailed in the general election.
While a full-on race for county judge is not yet underway, the recent shakeup could mean a contentious campaign season ahead for two Democrats who once supported one another.
Portillo said he is “leaning one way,” but hasn’t officially announced whether or not he’ll run for reelection. Elections will not take place until next year, and newly-elected officials will not be sworn in until January 2027.
While for a short time it was unclear whether or not Portillo would replace Beebe or try to find a way to keep him in office, Portillo said in an interview he ultimately felt compelled to follow the law as written.
“I didn’t make this decision lightly. I consulted with a lot of attorneys, a lot of judges,” Portillo said. “The reality though is the law says automatic resignation.”
Beebe said he found out he was being replaced on Friday without a word from the judge or the judge’s office. He said there are a number of motivating factors behind his candidacy, including concerns about Portillo’s ability to properly manage the county’s finances. Portillo’s recent decision to back the defunding of the Marfa Golf Course and Vizcaino Park — in turn abruptly terminating three county employees — was “more than he could honestly handle,” Beebe said.
“He's not suitable. He doesn't have compassion for people. He doesn't respect people,” Beebe said of Portillo. “He doesn't care about the county as a whole.”
Knight will have to pick up where Beebe left off on managing critical county matters, including ongoing discussions with a company proposing to build an AI data center near Marfa. Beebe said he plans to continue to administer a $1.3 million TxDOT grant for the construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting central and east Marfa on Oak Street. Knight will be filling in until Beebe’s term expires in December 2026.
Portillo said Knight, a Marfa local, was selected due to his experience as a civil servant; he’s served two stints as the county’s Precinct 4 representative and used to be on the Marfa ISD school board.
“To me, that was an easy choice,” Portillo said. “I look forward to working with him and moving forward.”
Knight said after “a lot of hard thought” he agreed to step in.
“I care for Precinct 4, and I'll try to do the best I can for the county and the people,” he said.
Editor’s note: David Beebe is a volunteer music program host at Marfa Public Radio.
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