By Brad Kellar
Greenville – The intent of a Hunt County judge to again run for office in 2012 was one of two big announcements made Wednesday.
354th District Court Judge Richard A. Beacom (D), during a meeting of the Hunt County Bar Association, also announced he is switching parties to run as a republican.
He is completing his fourth term as judge of the court, which serves Hunt and Rains counties. Despite running as a democrat in each of his three previous campaigns, Beacom says the switch to run as a GOP candidate stems from the results of the November elections.
Last month, Assistant District Attorney Steve Tittle became Hunt County's first republican district judge by defeating longtime democrat and 196th District Court Judge Joe Leonard. Tittle won the contest by earning 61 percent of the vote.