Bureau Chief quits, announces a political run against former boss, current District Attorney

Harris County’s first African American bureau chief of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (HCDAO) recently resigned to lead a campaign against her former boss and the sitting District Attorney.

Carvana Cloud served the people of Harris County for more than a decade on both sides of the courtroom, as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. During her most recent role as Bureau Chief of the HCDAO Special Victims Bureau, she led a team of prosecutors, social workers, and support staff in creating and implementing innovative approaches to community safety in the areas of domestic violence, sex crimes, human trafficking, and animal cruelty.

“I left the DA’s office because I don’t believe this is what progress looks like,” Cloud said. “The election of a new DA in 2016 failed to bring about true change from the past reliance on mass incarceration. The few changes we’ve seen are too incremental, too inconsistent, and too conservative to result in the real transformation needed in Harris County.”

Cloud’s priorities are:

Improving victims’ services by addressing critical gaps in services and working with law enforcement and community partners to ensure accessibility to resources and services

Promoting restorative justice solutions by implementing a program that refers appropriate cases to community-based alternatives before arraignment

Decriminalizing mental health by supporting crisis-intervention training of law enforcement; working with mental health experts to create attainable action plans

Increasing transparency and addressing racial disparity by analyzing data and promoting fair and equitable relationships within all communities

Supporting comprehensive bail reform by exploring the use of offense-specific risk assessment tools in order to maximize public safety without violating an accused defendant’s constitutional right to be free from excessive bail

“This is an opportunity for us to truly change the balance of power- ensuring government works for both crime victims and those charged with crimes, because only then will we have a fair and just system,” Cloud said.

Last day to register to vote: Monday, February 3, 2020

First day of Early Voting: Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Last day of Early Voting: Friday, February 28, 2020

Primary Election Day: Tuesday, March 3, 2020