McLennan County district clerk candidate with expunged felony to remain on Republican primary ballot
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A candidate for McLennan County district clerk with an expunged, out-of-state felony conviction will remain on the Republican primary ballot after his opponent failed in a challenge of his eligibility.
District Clerk candidate Rebecca Eubank asked McLennan County Republican Party Chairman Chris DeCluitt to determine if Connley Litton is an eligible candidate because of a felony DWI conviction in Kansas almost 18 years ago.
After reviewing legal briefs from attorneys for both candidates and conferring with state party leaders, DeCluitt said in a letter Friday that he is denying Eubank’s “protest” and will not remove Litton from the March 2026 primary ballot.
No Democrats have filed for the race, which will determine who succeeds interim District Clerk Ralph Strother, who was appointed in August to complete the unexpired term of former District Clerk Jon Gimble.
Gimble left office to run for the District 22 Texas Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Brian Birdwell. He faces State Rep. David Cook, 53, of Mansfield, in the Republican primary.
Litton, 55, a current chief deputy district clerk, checked the box on the candidate application form acknowledging he has been convicted of a felony, “but I have been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities of that felony conviction and I have provided proof of this fact with the submission of this application.”
Litton provided documents from Kansas showing his third DWI conviction, which was enhanced to a felony in 2008, was expunged by court order.
Eubank’s challenge to his eligibility claimed “documentation provided by Mr. Litton did not expressly state that it dissolved him of the legal liabilities associated with his felony as required by the state of Texas.”
In Texas, an expunction legally erases records of an arrest or charge, allowing a person to deny it ever happened, with a few notable exceptions. It orders the destruction of a person’s criminal record, allowing them to claim, in most instances, that they have never been convicted.
Litton said the expunction restored his civil rights, and because of a constitutional provision known as the Full Faith and Credit Clause, states are required to respect and enforce public acts, records and judicial proceedings of other states.
Litton said Friday he is “grateful Chairman DeCluitt stuck with the right call.”
“My filing was valid, I deserve to be on the ballot, and now that’s settled,” Litton said in a statement. “The challenge to remove me was a distraction and we successfully addressed it. Now we move forward. I’m focused on meeting the people of McLennan County and showing why I’m the only candidate with the qualifications and experience to lead this office. On March 3rd, voters will decide this race. I’m ready to earn their trust and their vote.”
Eubank, 37, assistant court administrator for 414th State District Court, said she questioned Litton’s ballot eligibility to ensure election integrity, adding that and “personal integrity matters are something that all voters and Americans should be concerned with during the election process.”
“We requested that Chairman Chris DeCluitt conduct a thorough review of the paperwork submitted to ensure Mr. Litton met the requirements of the Texas Election Code,” Eubank said in a statement. “We accept Chairman DeCluitt’s review and we wish Mr. Litton well with his campaign. Election integrity is something we should all want to uphold because this process is sacred and we all agree the proper process should be followed.”
Litton spoke openly about his DWI arrests in a Facebook message he said he posted because Eubank “has decided to make it a cornerstone of her campaign for District Clerk.”
He said after his third DWI arrest in January 2008, “I decided to change my life.”
“I started taking classes. I went to AA. I went to DUI victim panels. I learned. I changed. I became a much better version of myself. My probation came and went. I worked hard on myself, and the State of Kansas respected my efforts enough to grant me an expunction,” Litton wrote.
Litton announced for the office in August and said he will be able to hit the ground running because of his experience working in the clerk’s office, which he described as “one of the most critical offices in county government.”
Litton moved to McLennan County about 15 years ago from Kansas, where he worked in the information technology industry for about 25 years.
“For the past six years, I have proudly served as chief deputy in the district clerk’s office, where I have learned every aspect of what it takes to manage one of the most critical offices in county government,” Litton said. “I am running because this office deserves steady leadership, proven experience and a focus on professional, transparent service. I am ready to lead on day one.”
Eubank, an Air Force veteran, jumped into the race first. She has been a patrol officer for the Bruceville-Eddy Police Department, worked two years with the Precinct 1 McLennan County Constable’s Office and worked a year as an investigator for the Bellmead Police Department.
In October 2016, she started working as a courthouse security deputy with the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office before becoming an investigator in 2017. She was promoted to sergeant, where she supervised about 15 employees.
She has been assistant court administrator for Judge Ryan Luna since 2024.
“The McLennan County district clerk’s office plays a critical role in the administration of justice within our community,” Eubank said. “With over 15 years of experience in both civil and criminal administration, I am fully prepared to serve the citizens of McLennan County as district clerk from day one.”
Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.
