About Ruth Todd – Justice Advocate
Ruth Todd is running for Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2. With strong ties to the community, she is dedicated to advocating for justice and equality. Ruth’s experience in public service and her passion for community engagement make her a qualified candidate to bring about positive change.
Bio
My name is Ruth Todd, and I am running for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 in Bastrop County because justice should be fair, accessible, and grounded in compassion, not privilege.
I am a native Texan and a graduate of Lamar University with a degree in Music Education. I married my husband, Donnie, the same year I graduated, and for more than 40 years we have built a life centered on family, service, and hard work. We raised three children and are now proud grandparents to eight. Anyone who has raised a family knows that patience, accountability, and problem-solving are daily requirements. Those same skills belong in a Justice of the Peace court.
Much of my working life was spent owning and operating our family photography business in Southeast Texas, serving school districts and major corporations. Running a business teaches responsibility, professionalism, and how to work with people from every background. Working closely with schools also showed me how deeply children and families are affected by circumstances beyond their control, and how important fairness and understanding truly are.
I grew up in a racially divided community, but our family business welcomed everyone, even when doing so came at a personal cost. That experience shaped my lifelong commitment to equality and to doing what is right, even when it is not easy.
Our family endured four major hurricanes, and during evacuations I saw both the best and worst of humanity. Some communities offered food, water, and kindness. Others shut their doors, price-gouged, or turned people away. Those moments taught me that justice and compassion are choices, and they matter most when people are vulnerable.
After retiring from the family business, we moved to South Carolina for my husband’s work. There, I became deeply involved in Democratic politics at every level. In 2018, I helped start a Democratic club in one of the reddest parts of the state, strengthening the county party and helping host multiple presidential candidates during the 2020 cycle. Organizing, listening, and building community are not hobbies for me. They are commitments.
In 2022, we returned home to Texas to be near our children and grandchildren. Bastrop County is where we are laying down our roots, and where I want to serve.
I believe a Justice of the Peace should be a voice for fairness, not favoritism. I will serve with integrity, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to equal justice for every person in Bastrop County.
Justice should work for everyone. I intend to make sure it does.
Bastrop County Commissioners Court, Public Comment
Good morning, Commissioners.
My name is Ruth Todd, and I am a resident of Bastrop County. I am here today to respectfully but firmly oppose the proposed
renaming of 969, after Charlie Kirk.
Let's start with the rules this court already agreed to follow. Bastrop County has a road naming policy that explicitly prohibits naming roads after politicians or after individuals who are not from this county. Charlie Kirk was not from Bastrop County. He was a political activist and media personality based out of Arizona. If this court moves forward, you won't just be naming a road — you will be openly violating your own policy. And if the rules don't apply when it's politically convenient, then what are they worth?
Now let's talk about money — taxpayer money. The cost of
renaming a road doesn't end with a ceremony and a new sign. Every resident and every business on that road bears a real
financial burden: updating legal documents, changing their
address with the post office, the DMV, banks, insurance
companies, clients, suppliers. These are hours of their time and dollars out of their pockets — for something they did not ask for and do not want. And the county itself will spend public funds on administrative processing, new signage, and updated maps. This is not a responsible use of Bastrop County or State tax dollars.
Finally — and I want this court to hear this clearly — Charlie Kirk was one of the most polarizing figures in American public life. He has built a career on dividing people. Honoring him with a permanent place on our county map does not unite this community. It sends a message to a significant portion of your constituents that their comfort in their own county does not matter. Roads are public infrastructure. They belong to everyone. They should reflect our shared community — not a political statement.
Bastrop County has real heroes. Real history. Real people from this land worth honoring. I urge this court to reject this proposal, uphold your own policies, respect your residents' wallets, and keep this community whole.
Thank you.
"Charlie Kirk was one of the most
polarizing figures in politics," Ruth Todd speaking in opposition to the road designation. "Naming a road in his honor does not unite the community. It sends a message to a significant portion of our community that their comfort in their home county does not matter."
Join the Campaign!
Support Ruth Todd in her quest for justice. Your voice matters! Join us in this essential campaign to create a fairer community.
