Graham enters race for County Constable

Dave Graham has filed to be on the ballot for Hays County Constable, Precinct 4, in the March 5th Republican Primary election.

“The Constable’s Office is increasingly important to our quality of life here in Dripping Springs,” Graham said. “Constables traditionally have handled civil’ issues, court orders such as protective orders or evictions, but under Ron Hood we’ve expanded our responsibilities to law enforcement and traffic as well; I intend to grow from that foundation.”

“I don’t know if people are aware of what a challenge the role of Constable is,” Graham said. “The Constable leads a team of very experienced law enforcement officers; it is not an entry-level police leadership job. There’s the public outreach aspect, being out there and visible both to deter crime and be accessible to residents. You must be able to advocate for the community at the county level. And there’s planning and prudent use of resources to do our best to ensure the safety of our residents.”

Graham was hired by Hood in 2017 as a Deputy Constable, shortly after he retired as a Lieutenant from the Dallas Police Department; Graham and his wife Ann had moved to Dripping Springs to be near their adult children, who had settled in the area. Hood is retiring at the end of his current term in December 2024.

“I have more than 40 years of law enforcement experience, and more importantly 20 years of leadership experience. In Dallas, I was responsible for over 200 officers, and my units directly served a population of more than a million people,” Graham said.

In Dripping Springs, in addition to serving as a Deputy Constable, Graham has led training on topics such as “Citizen Response to Active Shooters,” and “Safety and Situational Awareness for Women,” helping people learn what to do to keep themselves and their families safe during an emergency. He also instituted citizen community patrols, training residents to nonviolently deter crime in Sunset Canyon.

In June 2022, in response to the Uvalde shooting, Graham was one of the organizers, and a presenter, of a four-hour training event on “School Violence and Mass Casualty Homicide Threat Management,” at Dripping Springs High School. The training event was put together by the Hays County Precinct 4 Constable's Office, along with ATAP, the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. The training was attended by DSISD school staff, local government officials, and members of the community.

Ron Jones, who was on the DSISD Board of Trustees at the time, attended the presentation and is now endorsing Graham in part because of what he saw in Graham’s presentation.

“I can think of no one better qualified to be our next Constable,” Ron Jones said. “[Graham] has actual experience in active shooter situations and has successfully led several high-profile units in Dallas including SWAT, Bomb Squad, and others. As our community grows, we need someone who has experience with the needs of a growing population; and who can proactively anticipate our needs for safety from day one.”

Graham and his wife Ann have been married for 35 years and have two adult children, Lauren and Brad. Brad has followed in his father’s footsteps and is also currently a police officer in Central Texas.

“I want to be your next Constable because I love Dripping Springs, and I’m the best qualified person for the job,” Graham said.

For more information, visit daveforhays.com or contact Graham at (214) 601-6816.