Eckhardt officially steps down as county judge

Yesterday’s meeting of the Travis County Commissioners Court marked the last time County Judge Sarah Eckhardt will preside over the body and the conclusion of her two decades working for the county. Although Eckhardt resigned from her position in March, she stayed on as county judge during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there has been some controversy over whether serving as a holdover judge allowed her to be legally eligible to run for the Texas Senate seat being vacated by Kirk Watson. One day before the final filing deadline to run for state Senate, Eckhardt officially stepped down amid tears and fond words from her colleagues. Former County Judge Sam Biscoe was sworn in on May 12 and will take over in her stead until a new county judge is elected in November. While Eckhardt campaigns for the Senate seat, she will simultaneously serve in a voluntary capacity as an adviser to the Commissioners Court on matters related to Covid-19 emergency management.