For your consideration: Gonzales County Constable, Precinct 3

GONZALES — The ballot for Gonzales County Precinct 3 constable will be full on the Republican side of the ticket come March 1 when two candidates face off against incumbent Derek Johnson. Dilworth resident Mitchell Bennett thinks that his experience and dedication should win him the spot once Election Day rolls around.

“I am very passionate when it comes to my law enforcement career and the things I have experienced in my law enforcement career,” said Bennett. “And I want to continue helping people, being involved in the community and doing the right things and making things fair. I just really enjoy being out there in the community and helping others.”

Bennett, 37, has called the area home since the mid-1990s. He began his law enforcement career in 2001 with the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) in the jail division where he was later promoted to a supervisory position after one year. After attending the Victoria Police Academy he was hired as a deputy sheriff with GCSO. 

From 2005-13 he was a member of the Hallettsville Police Department. In October 2005 he assisted in a murder case out of Victoria, which led to a successful arrests of individuals responsible for the crime. Bennett later received the Chief’s Letter of Commendation from the Victoria Chief of Police.

Bennett is currently a reserve deputy with GCSO. He also works full-time on a drilling rig and along with his wife of 20 years, Jenifer, owns a private investigator company. She can be seen with him out on the campaign trail and he credits her as a team member that will be crucial to his election.

“I think that it’s very important to get out there with the people and talk to them,” he said. “And when I’m introducing myself, my wife and I go there as a team because ultimately they’re not electing me myself, they’re electing my family as well. And I have the wonderful support of my wife. She’s an amazing lady.”

Precinct 3 covers a lot of territory from Dilworth and Little New York up to the county line toward Moulton and on over to Harwood, so he’s going to have to make some miles in the coming weeks to convince voters to consider him at the ballot box. The relationships that he is currently making — meeting the residents of the area while campaigning — will go well with the relationships he hopes to cultivate as constable. He said that once elected, that relationship doesn’t end and he wants them to know he’s the right man for the job. 

“I think the determining factor of the race could be who does the most leg work and who’s talking to the people,” Bennett said. “Sure, it’s easy to go out and put up signs, but those signs don’t vote. It’s the people who vote and they like to see who their candidates are.”

He offers no fault for current Constable Johnson but rather a chance to offer constituents something new. Bennett wants people to know that there are other possibilities and that his education and experience will be an asset not just to the sheriff’s department but to the community at large.

Bennett holds a master peace officer’s license with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and has over 2,400 hours of continuing education. He is a certified TCOLE firearms instructor, has attended 120 hours of SWAT training and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Police Science. His law enforcement experience includes jail operations, patrol, investigations, narcotics, case prep for prosecutors and personnel management.

It’s because of this that Bennett hopes to get your vote on Election Day.

“I believe my qualifications, my professional experience and my education make me the best candidate,” he said. “I will work diligently to maintain and improve a positive working relationship not only with the community but with the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Department. My dedication and passion of community oriented policing will supersede that of my predecessors.”